Chauvinism vs. Misogyny

Misogyny can be traced to greek mythology while chauvinism originates from france in the early 19th century. Misogyny in greek mythology is shown by Pandora, the first woman made by Zeus who carried a box that unleashed evils. This woman was created to punish mankind. From the very beginning, women have been seen as a danger, a threat. Women aren’t weak, they are all too powerful and everyone else was afraid of that, thus the negative connotation they have had throughout history.

Chauvinism is extreme

It is one thing to be proud of your identity and have confidence and self compassion, it is another thing when that narcissism inflicts upon the rights of other people and sees their downfall. (Click) Chauvinism is this radical belief in one’s own identity, group or cause and the disrespect and harm of others identities, groups and causes.

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Chauvinism is pride

While an extremely escalated form of pride, it is derived from the belief in one’s own group of people and that is a beautiful thing. (Click) According to legend, French soldier Nicholas Chauvin was badly wounded in the napoleonic wars. He received money for his injuries, but not enough to live on. Napoleon was defeated but Chauvin continued his blind devotion to this cause. (Click) This is where the term originated from. Chauvinism started off as the belief in Nicholas Chauvin’s cause, pride, in his group of people. The modern world has twisted it into this fanatical devotion to a group or cause to which one belongs and especially encourages hostility and violence to people in other groups. At its roots, chauvinism was pride, misogyny was always hatred, it was always bigotry, it was always wrong.

Misogyny is not the opposite of feminism

The goal of feminism is for women to gain the basic rights that all members of society should have while misogyny is the active harm of women and their progression into the modern world. Feminists have a common (word) to abolish rape and domestic violence typically aimed towards them. (Click) The opposite of misogyny would be the reign of women. It would be the complete control and potentially the abuse and hatred of other genders. Misogyny can manifest in numerous ways including social exclusion, hostility and the belittling of women. There are various sacred texts and western philosophers that could be described as misogynistic. (Click) Imagine if the tables were turned, if misogyny was against men or another gender, that would be the true opposite of misogyny which may be radical feminism but is not defined by the feminist movement as a whole. This is called misandry and while it exists, it is scarce and not prevalent in societies.

Misogyny is innately disrespectful

A misogynist holds hatred or disrespect towards women. Misogyny is the ideologies and methods for controlling, restricting, suppressing, and, when necessary, physically harming women so that men can avoid competing with them for talent and skill. (Click) In other words, you don’t have to hate women to behave hatefully towards them. How likely is it that the majority of things labeled misogyny were really a hatred towards women. (Click) Widows of Hindu men were murdered at their husbands funeral and it was not because their dead husbands hated them. (Click) Ultra-Orthodox rabbis make women cross the street or sit in the back of a bus in order for men to avoid contact with them and that is not because they hate women. For (Click) Saudi Arabian men, who will not let women drive, or the Taliban, who will not let women go out without a male relative, even though she is covered from head to toe. The men is some states who have tried to require women to endure an unwanted, invasive, intrauterine ultrasound – essentially a form of rape – before being allowed to have a legal aboutrion also do not hate women. (Click) It is this idea that misogyny has to fit the dictionary’s definition, but it doesn’t. These forms of disrespect, of abuse, towards women are misogyny. Although the people creating these scenarios may not hate women they are being misogynistic, they are acting against the basic human rights of women and that is what misogyny truly is.