Dismantling The Myth: Demystifying The 'Women Have It All Easy' Myth In A Patriarchal World

The phrase “women have it all easy” has emerged as an oversimplified narrative undermining the complex socio-political, economic, and cultural barriers that women continue to face. Women are often perceived to be getting benefits from the progressive policies, such as maternity leave, educational opportunities, or even reservations, making it easier for them than men. However, reality often contradicts these perceptions.

Illustration by The Geostrata

Women face persistent struggles that are often overlooked due to this oversimplification, underrating, and underestimating women’s capabilities in a male-dominated society. Moreover, frequently society glorifies the ‘superwoman’ narrative for women as if women are born with special powers and excel both in their profession and in managing the household and still look presentable. 

This article challenges the narrative that “women have it all easy”, highlighting the subtle realities they navigate in the real world. Furthermore, this article exposes how a surface-level assumption leads to the unnoticeability of deeper realities and struggles that women face while understanding gender privilege.

UNDERVALUING WOMEN'S CAPABILITIES

Women’s labour, both paid and unpaid, has always been undervalued despite their enormous contribution to the functioning of the economy, society, and the family. This largely stems from the gendered division of work, where women are mainly assigned caregiving and domestic work; on the other hand, men are always associated with productive and income-generating work. 

Unpaid labour is not limited only to homes, but the entire care economy is built on the system of undervaluation of women’s efforts. Women do more than 75% of the world's unpaid work. Caregiving is a demanding job, but it is still expected that women would do it for free of cost. This segregation of work between men and women has contributed to the devaluation of women’s capabilities, especially in the domain of caregiving, which remains unrecognised.

Further in the paid economy, when a woman enters the workforce, she is often limited to roles that are mere extensions of domestic responsibilities.

Women often face limited advancement in their professional lives as compared to men due to the gendered stereotypes questioning their capabilities and leadership roles. Women are often paid less than men for doing the same work.

This often stems from the stereotype that men are more logical than women, thereby ignoring the talents and strong capabilities of women.

This stereotype doesn't stop here; women are also labelled as being more emotional, therefore not qualified enough for leadership and management jobs. In 2017, women held just 5.4% of CEO positions in Fortune 500 companies, underscoring the gender difference prevalent even in top-level corporate leadership. This manifests as women earning 20% less than men for the same work globally. 

A very crucial aspect of the gender pay gap is the motherhood penalty, which refers to the professional and financial challenges women face after embracing motherhood due to the inequality in caregiving responsibilities. On the other hand, men don't face any such penalty but are often given benefits like a fatherhood bonus.

Adding to this economic disadvantage of women is also the pink tax, which adds an extra financial burden on the shoulders of women for certain gender-specific products like razors, deodorants, clothes, and even menstrual products like sanitary napkins. This is not just a tax but reflects the deeper economic bias, making womanhood expensive. 

This economic burden borne by a woman feeds a broader narrative that views women as less productive, more dependent, and financially taxing. This perception is largely rooted in the patriarchal structure that envisions a woman as a liability rather than an asset.

THE BURDEN OF PATRIARCHY

The deep-rooted burden of patriarchy borne by women is also oversimplified by the belief that women have it all easy. Patriarchy reinforces the gendered division of labour, emotional expectations, and deep-rooted power asymmetries that demand constant adaptation and adjustments from women. It has idealised femininity as soft, nurturing, and emotional, normalising women’s role in raising children and supporting the household.

Additionally, women’s identity is constructed based on their relationship to men, overshadowing their autonomous identity, while in practice, patriarchy is so ingrained in daily lives that we often fail to notice how it conditions our expectations, behaviours, and perceptions about what is normal and acceptable in gender relations.

Media representation of women’s rights and, more specifically, violence against women, gives a representation of how gender differences are ingrained in our society. For instance, media coverage of sexual violence is often focused on the victim, diverting focus from the abuser and reinforcing the idea of women as weak and vulnerable. Moreover, the institutional support that women receive in the form of maternity leave and gender quotas is often viewed as an undue privilege.

In reality, these are just compensatory tools creating an illusion of privilege, overlooking the challenges women face in the form of the motherhood penalty, under-representation in leadership roles, and even the widespread gender-based violence. Almost 1 in every 3 women has faced gender-based violence once in their lifetime.

Women are expected to effortlessly excel in both domestic and professional spheres without acknowledgement of their contribution or support. However, men, when they take on similar responsibilities, are praised for doing so. This hypocrisy further contributes to the myth that women have it all easy, when the truth is, women are conditioned to accommodate themselves to the unequal system. 

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL COST OF LIVING UNDER PATRIARCHY

Patriarchy subordinates women, leading to negative impacts on their mental health and well-being. One of the ways in which patriarchy affects women is through gender-based violence, leading to them often suffering post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and other mental health issues. Gender-based violence stems from the belief that men have control over the bodies of women.

Further, gender roles reinforce the nurturing and caregiving roles of women, leading to burnout and resentment. Moreover, the narrative of the “ideal woman,” which demands perfection and beauty, contributes to women facing body image issues, reinforcing the idea that women are too sensitive. 

Patriarchy also limits opportunities in the domains of education, employment, and social mobility, contributing to the feeling of hopelessness and despair. Sexual harassment in the workplace further aggravates the already challenging condition of women in society. In reality, under patriarchy, women’s freedom is always limited; despite access to employment and education, they are expected to manage their household with equal precision and expertise.

Opportunities also depend on exploiting the labour of marginalised women, keeping the inequalities intact. This is tied to the concept of the patriarchal bargain, where women negotiate their limited freedoms, reinforcing the hierarchical structure rather than dismantling it.    

POLICY SUGGESTIONS FOR UPLIFTING WOMEN IN SOCIETY

For creating a more equitable society, policies should go beyond just symbolic gestures and address the deep-rooted barriers. The government must ensure legal equality by eliminating discriminatory laws related to property rights, reproductive autonomy, marriage, and divorce, and ensuring protection in the workplace, and ensuring women’s representation at the local levels of the government for equal representation in the decision-making process. 

Gender budgeting should focus more on the needs of women, like affordable childcare, entrepreneurship programmes, maternal health care, and menstrual healthcare. It is also crucial to enforce equal wages and pay transparency and introduce menstrual leave policies without stigma. There should also be sufficient funds allocated for girls’ education, especially in leadership training programmes.

The curriculum should focus more on challenging the existing gender stereotypes and educating men and boys on menstruation and reproductive health to break the taboo around it and instil empathy and shared responsibility in domestic life. 

Moreover, integrating gender-sensitive mental health support with the public system will help women cope with the mental toll of existing systemic inequalities. However, cultural transformation will require active partnership from men to challenge the patriarchal norms and highlight women’s strengths and agency. Furthermore, these reforms will also make the lives of men easier.

Equal distribution of caregiving roles will reduce the pressure on men to be the sole breadwinner, allowing them both personal time and time with their family. Breaking these gender norms will also give men the opportunity to follow their passion and not conform to the social expectations to pursue careers that will only help them earn money.

CONCLUSION

To conclude, true equality begins with addressing the root of the problem and not denial. It is important to confront the social, economic, and political spheres of society that remain largely unequal to dismantle the myth that women have it all easy. Society needs to hear the voices of women to address the deep-rooted inequalities faced by them and not search for exceptions.

The myth of “women have it easy” will keep oversimplifying the complex reality that women face in a patriarchal society into a comforting lie, and deny women the recognition and value they deserve, not only for facing these structural barriers but also for contributing, leading, and excelling despite these barriers. 

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BY ANUSHKA DHAR

TEAM GEOSTRATA

info@thegeostrata.com