Patriarchal Society

A patriarchal society is one in which men hold positions of power in greater numbers than that of women. In stringent versions of these societies, men hold all the positions of power, including within all social, governmental and familial structures. In these social structures the following is often true:

• Men are considered the authority on all things moral and religious
• Men make all the decisions regarding women

Even though modern society is considered more progressive, there are still elements of a patriarchal structure in place. For example, in the United States, men still hold positions of power in greater numbers than women politically. There still exists a significant wage gap between the two genders as well as an educational gap. This suggests that the elements of a patriarchal society that values men and the success of men over that of women persists, even if not as overtly as was the case in the past.

There are still iterations of patriarchal societies globally. For example, women in Saudi Arabia still have few rights and must submit to the men in their families, be it their husbands, fathers or brothers. In Afghanistan, it is only recently that girls were afforded the right to pursue a formal education. Patriarchal societies perpetuate generations of women that don't have even the most basic of human rights. This is the reason that progressive societies have at least attempted to change such norms.