How the Law Sustains the Patriarchy

How the Law Reflects and Sustains the Patriarchy: A Deliberate Mechanism, not a Natural Occurrence

Maddy Cartwright

This article seeks to discuss the intentionally sustained patriarchal values within the law. In essence, this is the idea that the law can be seen to both reflect and preserve the patriarchy through its framework and practical applications. Sustaining such values is a dangerous reality, as it significantly undermines women in intellectual capacities and raises concern as to their bodily autonomy. The detriment this causes women therefore proves a necessary examination of the law to unpick where these issues are present and consider how best they can be resolved.

Exploring different areas of society that impact women through the sustained preservation of the patriarchy, ultimately evidence detriments suffered by women in their workplaces, courtrooms and desire to exercise their autonomy. Dissecting these issues to consider how the patriarchy can affect different women in various manners, is of upmost importance, as to comment that all women fit under a blanket experience from the patriarchy is both unjust and ill-founded. Ultimately, by critically discussing the ways in which women are affected and considering how their experiences may differ from one another, underpinning the law as a system that reflects and preserves the patriarchy is an apparent conclusion.

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