Feminist Critique of Patriarchal Violence and Body Ownership in Contemporary Discourse
The article examines the historical construction of sexual difference, tracing its emergence as a biological paradigm in the 18th century, which replaced the ancient 'single-sex' model that viewed the female as an imperfect male. Mary Wollstonecraft's 1792 'A Vindication of the Rights of Woman' is highlighted as a foundational feminist text, linking the struggle for women's rights to anti-slavery movements. The text analyzes contemporary patriarchal violence—including harassment, abuse, rape, and femicide—as rooted in a sense of male ownership over women's bodies, a concept described as 'colonialist appropriation.' It references a 2011 Pedro Almodóvar film, 'The Skin I Live In,' as an allegory for this domination. The piece cites psychoanalyst Jessica Benjamin's theories on mutual recognition and the roots of domination in early psychic development. It notes alarming statistics, including a 10% increase in rape cases in São Paulo and the city's high ranking for sexual violence risk against women, according to the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The author, Silvia Alonso, is identified as a psychoanalyst and columnist.
Key facts
- The discourse of two distinct biological sexes became dominant in Western society only from the 18th century onward.
- Mary Wollstonecraft published 'A Vindication of the Rights of Woman' in 1792, a foundational feminist document.
- Contemporary violence against women, including femicide, is analyzed as stemming from a patriarchal sense of ownership over the female body.
- Psychoanalyst Jessica Benjamin's work explores how oppressive social relations structure primitive bonds and psychic development.
- São Paulo ranks among the top cities globally for potential risk of sexual violence against women, with rape cases increasing by 10%.
- Femicide is defined as the killing of women by men due to gender-based issues and a sense of property.
- The 1968 'bra-burning' protest in the US is referenced as a metaphor for feminist movements challenging imposed beauty standards.
- The article critiques a recent media controversy about vaginoplasties for reinforcing male parameters over women's bodies.
Entities
Artists
- Pedro Almodóvar
- Silvia Alonso
Institutions
- Instituto Sedes Sapientiae
- Thomson Reuters Foundation
- páginaB!
Locations
- São Paulo
- Brazil
- United States
- France