"The sexist backlash against feminism is a sign of immaturity."

BarcelonaIs male violence universal? Is there an inherent drive in men to assault their female partners? These are two questions that were raised in the debate organized this Tuesday by the Institut d'Estudis Catalans in collaboration with the newspaper ARA, coinciding with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. While it may not be inherent to the human species, given the existence of isolated and tiny cultures where women are not subordinate, there is a history that, over centuries, has created gender stereotypes in which men have occupied a dominant position.

For clinical psychologist Guillem Feixas, feminism has been a catalyst for humanity's advancement to the highest levels of maturity known to date and has achieved greater well-being, not only for women but also for men. However, like the swing of a pendulum, each feminist phase has been followed by a counter-effect.

With the fourth wave of feminism underway, Feixas believes the sexist backlash is nothing more than the expression of the "immaturity" of men who feel the loss of privileges and the symbolic and real power they once enjoyed. "An immaturity that contributes to the proliferation of pornography among minors at unhealthy ages and shapes their understanding of relationships with women," she points out, also noting phenomena such as... paragraphs or the machosphere.

Objectification and motherhood

In the debate, moderated by ARA journalist Lara Bonilla, anthropologist Pepa Cucó—like Feixas, a member of the IEC—focused on how feminism has managed to "redefine the concept of drives" to demonstrate that "violence does not stem from any uncontrollable prehistoric idea," but rather from "nurture" and "society." And while spaces like Forocoches or other websites that serve as "men's confessionals" help them to be "transgressive," feminism has given women the opportunity to "rebel and fight against the world." The future? It's painful to predict, both speakers agree, but they point out that 20 years ago, feminism and gender-based violence were barely present among their students and in their consultations. From an anthropological perspective, Cucó has emphasized that some societies have escaped patriarchy, indicating that they have been able to rid themselves of it because they have not engaged in the two processes that define this system of oppression against women. On the one hand, they have avoided the objectification of women, that is, treating them as objects. On the other hand, they have not allowed men to appropriate motherhood by giving the family lineage to sons before the mother.