An old phrase for an old problem

» Does ‘behind every great man is a great woman’ perpetuate
gender inequality or attempt to redeem women?

  

Fight like a girl

» A feminist punk anthem for the angsty
teens that grew up into jaded adults

Alexis Zygan
Staff Writer

 

I 1991 Bikini Kill released “Rebel Girl,”
an anthem for female solidarity on a split
EP with Huggy Bear. I heard the track two
decades later as an angsty youth. Bikini
Kill emerged from the third-wave feminist
movement of riot girls. They wrote music
for women who felt dismissed by popular
culture. Their lyrics tackled rape culture
and destigmatized female pleasure while
their live shows granted women a space

in front of the stage. With their songs
evoking a tooth-and-nail fight against the
patriarchy to reclaim my femininity from
the claws of oppressors, Bikini Kill became
one of my favourite artists. With the
attainment of adulthood came the hyper
awareness in public space of the constant
threat to my safety from the male gaze
lurking on the horizon.

When civil rights activist Danielle
Muscato posed the question “What would
you do if all men had a 9pm curfew?” to
her Twitter followers in 2018, the responses
were astoundingly similar: the freedom
to go on solitary walks and runs without
any pepper spray. Coercion and lack of
consent are what stop many women from
stepping outside after sunset. Bikini

Kill addressed sexism yet sadly did not
have the jurisdiction to overturn the

patriarchal ideologies that some argue have

predominated culture since 3100 BC. After
breaking up in 1997, Bikini Kill continued
to inspire women to pick up a guitar and
start a band and write feminist anthems,
for which their legacy prevails.

The #metoo movement started in 2006

by Tarana Burke led to worldwide call outs
of rapists and abusers. Others shared the
hashtag without citing names. Kathleen
Hanna, singer and guitarist of Bikini Kill,
endured a #metoo experience of sexual
assault at the hands of concertgoers when
the band started in Olympia, Washington.
In 2020 it seemed fitting for Bikini Kill
to reunite for a tour where teenagers like
myself could attend a show where the
audience united against misogyny.

When walking at night, women
experience catcalls or have sexist
remarks shouted at them under the
guise of “humour.” I think the need for
intersectional feminism is paramount
as sexist microaggressions continue to
thrive in daily discourse. There is still a
lot to dismantle in terms of misogyny,
toxic masculinity, and the sexualization of
women. Whenever | need an empowering
reminder, I listen to Bikini Kill’s break-out

Illustration by CJ Sommerfeld —

Teppei
Contributor

 

L is undeniable that misogyny is a more
serious problem than many currently
realize. Phrases degrading women can be
heard—or said—during the most casual
conversations with your colleagues, friends,
or partner regardless of their gender or
sexual orientation. I think if you were to
open any book on your shelf, you are most
likely going to find at least one or two lines
that could be considered misogynistic.
The old adage “behind every great man is
a great woman’ is a commonly referenced
phrase that is viewed as sexist. I started
wondering whether the phrase actually was
degrading. Maybe I have heard it so many
times that I have just learnt to accept it.

At first glance, the problem seems
to be the word “behind,” since it hints at
the controversial belief or tradition where
women should walk three (or depending
on the country) ten steps behind their
husbands.

Kitty Pope tried to give this phrase a
twist by choosing Beside Every Great Man
Is a Great Woman as the title of her book.
In it, she writes about 31 African American
women who have heavily contributed to
their husband’s successful lives. While I
believe this is a good angle to speak about
those women from, the word “beside”
sets a parameter around the types of
relationships great men can have with great
women. “Behind” encompasses all kinds
of connections a man might have had with

single “Rebel Girl,” and turn up the volume
to tune out the catcalls and sexist remarks.
The riot girl movement has received
criticism for being led by white women
and focussing strictly on sexism. In 2021,

a woman at any point in their lives—like a
grandmother or a teacher.

While it is easy to grasp the concept
of your romantic partner being beside
you through all life’s endeavors, it brushes
aside all other strong feminine figures
one can have during their lives. When I
think of myself (though by no means am
la “great” man yet) I am positive that the
greatness within myself has been shaped
by my mother’s teachings and her role in
my upbringing. She has been the most
influential feminine figure I have ever had.

Let’s keep in mind as well that in the
1800s women were deprived of many rights
that they have now. Not many women were
allowed to attend universities or to have
political careers. Many scientific advances
were achieved by women but were not
credited to them solely because they
were women. Same happened in the arts,
where women would write books or create
paintings and their husbands or brothers
would get all the credit.

“Behind every great man is a great
woman’ is a phrase that attempts to
provide with some sort of feeling of justice
and recognition (in a very general and
minimal way) all the women’s work and
efforts to make this world a better place
and has been completely ignored or under
recognized. I think we still have a long
and steep way ahead of us when it comes
to gender equality and we could never
do enough to make amends for what has
happened. Unfortunately, it still happens,
but acknowledgement is a good first step.

 

it would make more sense for riot girls to
embrace an intersectional perspective that
acknowledges the privilege white women
have in modern society while opening the
space to black feminists.