The Story of Sexism

There is an abundance of root causes of the oppression of menstruators, but the overarching theme is sexism. Contrary to popular belief, studies have suggested that humans did not always live in patriarchal societies. “According to one school of thought, things changed around 12,000 years ago. With the advent of agriculture and homesteading, people began settling down. They acquired resources to defend, and power shifted to the physically stronger males. Fathers, sons, uncles, and grandfathers began living near each other, property was passed down the male line, and female autonomy was eroded.” As a result, the patriarchy emerged. Because human life was not geographically widespread at this time, and cultural differences had yet to develop, this new system of settling down was more or less universal.

Male presenting people have benefitted from sexism for the last 12,000 years and they are more likely than female-presenting people to hold positions of social, economic, and political power. Non-menstruators are also seen as clean and in control of their bodies, while menstruators are expected to solely, and invisibly, carry the weight of human reproduction.