Question: Why Do MEN Have ANY Say In A WOMAN'S Right To Choose ???

[ancianita]

45. Presumptions of privilege and power, with the threat of violence or relentless, competitive pursuit

ever in the background. That's my short answer to the OP.

The long answer starts with: Going along to get along with these presumptions is what women practice. Males think women agree with them, but men would be wrong. It's just because women won't fight or kill them over these issues, and men push women's peacefulness, and take unfair advantage of their now-institutionalized dominance to send the message, "We'll decide what's best for you. Like it or lump it."

Out of 100 men, it only takes one violent act by one man to make women not trust the other 99 men, and secretly, silently the other 99 men might just let that guy 'off the hook,' since they gain some power as 'protectors' from his creating a kind of power association they can have because of him. It can be discussed, joked about and rationalized by men all they want, but ... Women know the deal. Women can turn prey at any moment.

The civilizing forces of institutions might buffer these 'in the wild' realities...and women can sometimes win safety and restitution within these arenas... but when away from civilization... women know the bottom line. There's a reason 51% of the world's population only owns 1% of its property and 5% of its money -- in the west the amount is only about 10% higher...but really, no one really believes that women historically have just given all that wealth away. Sounds dark because it is. Thus, the war against women across all continents.

On a lighter note, If I could convince men that it's in their best interests to live by what a priest told me 40 years ago, I'd have hope for the end of patriarchy. He said that God (and I'm an atheist, so, the universal system could now work for me just as well) has given equal spiritual authority and free will to both men and women, with women deciding who/what goes into and out of their bodies, a decision which is between them and their God. When men respect that, they will stop trying to control women's bodies as a show of their male Pride, which is a 'deadly sin', according to that priest and the Catholic Church. I couldn't agree more. But men, unfortunately, don't see equality as in men's ego or financial interests to respect the equality of women, so here we are.