When we talk about the oppression of women, we may idealize certain countries who seem to have been successful in creating real, material gains for women - and we may look in horror at countries where women have little to no power, or who suffer under a great deal of male violence. Reality is often much more contradictory. In cultures that may be feminist-friendly and equality-minded - masculine values and patriarchal networks still find a way to dominate. Or in cultures where women are fighting for their very existence, new feminist and women-centered systems spring to life where least expected.

In their new book, Planet Patriarchy: Global Tales of Feminism and Oppression, veteran feminists, award-winning authors and journalists Rahila Gupta and Beatrix Campbell take a close look at 8 very different countries - to discover the many varied faces of patriarchy.

The societies Rahila and Beatrix report on; Iceland, South Africa, El Salvador, China, Russia, ISIS, Saudi Arabia, and Rojava, have very different histories, cultures and political and economical systems - everything from military dictatorships, to liberal democracies, to religious monarchies, state-run capitalist, and post-revolutionary societies - or a mix - but what unifies them and what is present always - is the patriarchal power structures that run through whatever the governing systems happen to be.

In this hour, Elle talks to Beatrix and Rahila about their epic journey around our world, now nearly overtaken by overlapping and intersecting patriarchal power structures - and how women in different parts of the world are resisting male domination, fighting for women’s rights and interests, and maintaining solidarity in their movements. Patriarchy may endure, but so does feminism and the struggle to achieve liberation for all women.

EPISODE LINKS

Planet Patriarchy

Southall Black Sisters

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