Part One
Author: Hamia Naderi

Misogyny cannot be understood as an innate phenomenon or something inherent to human creation. Many social science scholars argue that it has emerged within historical, cultural, and power structures, gradually becoming so normalized that it appears as a natural part of the world order. To understand why women have been pushed to the margins in many civilizations—including contemporary Afghan society—we must step back from present realities and examine the deeper layers of history and the collective human mindset in earlier eras.

In this context, myths have played a significant role in shaping human perceptions of the world and the position of women. Myths were not merely stories for entertainment; they functioned as frameworks for explaining the world and transmitting social values and norms across generations.

For instance, in Greek mythology, the figure of Pandora is introduced as the first woman—one who, in some accounts, was created as a punishment for humanity. By opening the box entrusted to her, she released suffering and disease into the world. Similarly, in certain historical and patriarchal interpretations of the Abrahamic traditions, Eve has been portrayed as the one who tempted Adam and thereby caused humanity’s fall from paradise.

Of course, these narratives are not the only possible interpretations of these traditions. However, throughout many historical periods, such readings have contributed to a social imagination in which women are viewed as sources of error, temptation, or moral disorder.

Some scholars in the history of religions and gender studies suggest that such representations may have, over time, justified a controlling approach toward women. If women are perceived as potential sources of disorder, then regulating their behavior and presence in society can be framed as necessary for maintaining social order. Traces of such reasoning can still be found today in certain extreme interpretations of religion, where restricting women’s access to education or public life is justified in the name of preserving social stability.

However, when we look at the earliest stages of human life, a more complex picture emerges. Anthropological research by scholars such as Richard Lee and Marshall Sahlins on hunter-gatherer societies indicates that the division of labor between men and women was not necessarily based on domination. Women played a crucial role in sustaining their communities through gathering plants and food resources, and in some cases, their contributions even exceeded those of men in terms of daily caloric intake. In such contexts, biological differences did not automatically translate into social inequality.

Over time, however, this situation changed in many societies. Characteristics such as pregnancy and childbirth—initially vital to group survival—were gradually reinterpreted within certain social structures as limitations. This transformation did not occur suddenly; rather, it was a gradual process through which natural differences between men and women were increasingly translated into social inequalities.

In historical discussions, there is sometimes reference to a so-called “matriarchal era,” a hypothetical period in which women held primary social power. Yet many anthropologists consider this view to be exaggerated. The existence of female figurines in the Paleolithic era or matrilineal systems in certain societies suggests symbolic importance for women, but not necessarily widespread political or social authority.

Anthropologists such as Claude Lévi-Strauss and thinkers like Simone de Beauvoir have also noted that in many cultures, women may have been revered as symbols of fertility or sacred beings. However, this reverence was often confined to their biological roles. In other words, women were sometimes celebrated as symbols, but not necessarily recognized as autonomous individuals within structures of power.

With the advent of sedentary life and the formation of agricultural societies, significant social transformations occurred. The concepts of land ownership, wealth accumulation, and inheritance gained importance. In such contexts, ensuring lineage and paternity became increasingly central, which in many societies led to intensified control over women’s bodies and lives. Gradually, patriarchal structures became more consolidated, and new social and legal norms emerged that more narrowly defined and restricted women’s roles.

As a result, in various periods of human history, women were increasingly confined within frameworks that primarily associated them with family, reproduction, and the maintenance of social order.

Yet, understanding this historical trajectory reveals that misogyny is neither natural nor immutable. Rather, it is a phenomenon shaped under specific historical and social conditions and continuously reproduced over time. Recognizing this past can be the first step toward questioning these structures—and ultimately, toward transforming them.