Is There Really Such a Thing as ‘Patriarchy’?

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Contact: Henry Herrera

Telephone: +1-301-801-0608

Is There Really Such a Thing as ‘Patriarchy’?

WASHINGTON / March 12, 2026 – In her 1970 book, Sexual Politics, feminist Kate Millett posited the existence of a systemic, society-wide structure of male dominance and power over women, what she referred to as the “patriarchy.” Over the years, “oppressive patriarchy” came to be viewed as a quasi-religious truth in some circles, never subject to question or doubt.

Now, over 50 years later, it’s time to ask for concrete evidence of the existence of patriarchy. Numerous scientific studies and governmental reports reveal men around the world are lagging behind women in 12 areas:

Education: Over “100 countries have lower levels of male secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion,” according to the World Bank (1).
Health: Men face a global lifespan gender gap of 5 years: Men: 68.9 years; Women: 73.9 years, reveals the World Health Organization (2).
Boys: Among boys ages 5 to 17, 11.2% are involved in child labor, compared to 7.8% of girls, according to the International Labor Organization (3).
False Allegations: Men experience the majority of false allegations of abuse, according to surveys conducted in eight countries around the world (4).
Homicide victims: Males account for 78% of all homicide victims around the world (5).
Shared parenting: Fathers are awarded joint physical custody, on average, in only 5% of cases, according to a 37-country survey (6).
Criminal system: Men face more severe treatment at every step of the criminal-legal process, especially during the charging, plea-bargaining, and sentencing stages (7).
Partner abuse: Far fewer services are available for male victims (8), even though men are equally likely to be victims of partner violence (9).
Homelessness: Around the world, 76% of homeless persons are males (10).
Workplace deaths: Men face 15 times the number of occupational deaths from accidents, compared to women: Men: 6.2 deaths/100,000 workers, Women: 0.4/100,000 workers (11).
Paternity fraud: Globally, fathers are victims of paternity fraud in 3.7% of pregnancies (12).
Media portrayals: Media reporting and commentary about men is 69% unfavorable, 12% favorable, and 19% neutral or balanced (13).

Despite the fact that men predominate in national legislative bodies, research reveals they are motivated by protective and chivalrous impulses, not by a desire to exercise male dominance over women (14).

The conclusion is clear: There is no such thing as “patriarchy” in Western societies.

The International Council for Men and Boys is a non-governmental organization working to end the 12 sex disparities that affect men and boys worldwide. The ICMB is a leader of the emerging global movement to address the 12 areas of male disadvantage. https://www.menandboys.net/

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