Women, Public Space and Democratic Institutions: Masculine Symbology of Domination

Abstract

For centuries, women were excluded from public and political life due to a patriarchal mindset that saw them as naturally unfit. This deeply rooted cultural perception reinforced the idea of politics as a male domain, sustaining unequal gender roles over time. The set of beliefs underpinning the historical opposition between men and women has been reinforced by the symbolic association of power with male attributes. These symbols have unconsciously contributed to the mental reproduction of female discrimination. Even the emblematic objects of authority, in both biblical and mythological traditions, are commonly imagined as masculine and paternal.