How and Why Did Sexism Start
A nice answer written by Elliot Jackson
Early humans operated in what is known as Hunter-gatherer societies. By and large, the men in these societies, being physically stronger, handled the hunting bit, while women and children gathered nuts, berries and the like. In many places, however, men and women had comparative rights and were fiercely equiliatarian. Marriage wasn’t really a thing yet, and humans as one large group banded together, sharing the responsibilities of caring for children and elders. In many Hunter-gatherer societies, women could and did take on leadership roles.
Then came the Neolithic Revolution. People started settling down in one place and farmed for the first time. And suddenly, gender differences became more relevant than ever before. Farming required intense labor, and while that didn’t mean women couldn’t work, it did mean that men gradually started taking care of more outside responsibility, leaving women to care for the home and children. And there were suddenly a lot of children. Farming, it turned out, was quite efficient compared to the old ways. It became possible to amass surplus food and resources. This meant children were easier to feed, and the demands of farm labor motivated people to have more to help with the work. With so many children, women’s options decreased dramatically.
And suddenly we have writing. The first writing was developed to keep track of the first taxes, paid to whoever was in charge and had enough potential clout to persuade people to pay up. Boom. Bureaucracy. Soon there’s written law codes to follow.
Meanwhile, we’re amassing possessions and growing quite possessive of our land, both as a place to store our stuff and a place to grow things. As surplus food allowed some members of society to specialize as potters, smiths, or government officials, keeping up that surplus, maintaining the status quo, and paying taxes grew in importance. And suddenly we have a problem. Who inherits?
It’s important to ensure that your bloodline continues, but not all your kids even look like you, and your wife is a bit too friendly with Mr. Jones down the road. There were no paternity tests in the Neolithic time. There seemed to be only one solution. Laws that severely punish adultery appear, as well as further laws to restrict what women do and where they go so their husbands can be certain of whom the kids they pop out belong to. Marriages are more strictly defined along with dowries. With that comes increased social stigma around men that cannot find wives and women who do not marry young. Choosing not to marry is a ridiculous notion. Who will take over the family land, and all the pride and tradition that comes with it? Who will feed you when you grow too old to work if you have no children? There is no social welfare.
Suddenly, women have clearly defined roles in society and very little say in how their lives are run, going from the control of a father and one kitchen to the control of a husband and another.
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