By Zalmay Kave
We find ourselves in a world in which the Islamic gender apartheid regime of the Taliban is relentlessly erasing the very existence of women’s humanity in Afghanistan. They’ve issued numerous misogynist orders against women and those orders are issued from male criminals with titles such as emir, mullah, mohtaseb, and Talib. They have created a terrifyingly oppressive religious space designed to eradicate women’s fundamental rights. They claim to be representatives of God’s rule, and yet they prey upon women.
I intend to examine the dark aspects of the darkness prevailing in Afghanistan by looking at the groundbreaking novel, “Egalia’s Daughters: A Satire of the Sexes,” which was written in 1977 by a Norwegian author and feminist, Gerd Brantenberg.
This novel’s portrayal of absolute gender dominance helps us view gender discrimination and inequalities through the lenses of female protagonists. By shifting social roles, this novel vividly demonstrates that behind a wall of gender discrimination hides a regime that has established gender apartheid. Along the way, it created beliefs and symbols to perpetuate its dominance.
The book is about the life of Petronius, a young man living in the fictional country of Egalia, where women have absolute authority. In this society, women work outside the home, while men are responsible for household chores, taking care of children, and must take contraceptive pills. Women’s values prevail in this country, and their dictatorship affects men’s behaviour and actions. In this society, men are not allowed to go out alone at night and are prohibited from engaging in any activities they choose.
In Egalia, men are forced to wear garments that are preferred by the women. Most notably, the women have invented a nail-like contraption called the “penis tourniquet” that men must fasten to their genitals. This tourniquet is uncomfortable and torturous.
Petronius experiences life under women’s dominance and gender oppression daily. He becomes profoundly tired of living in such an oppressive society and suffering restrictions due to his gender. Eventually, Petronius and a few other men decide to revolt against Egalia’s matriarchy. They help spark interest in dealing with gender inequality in Egalia’s society.
The narrative of gender inequality and bitter satire in “Egalia’s Daughters” serves as a metaphor for today’s patriarchal society in Afghanistan by offering an exaggerated fictional representation of gender discrimination, inequalities, and subtle nuances that often go unnoticed. Gerd Brantenberg uses humour to expose the wide-ranging dimensions of sexual injustice, while critiquing social and cultural structures which reveal the dominance of male authority in cultural, societal, and linguistic aspects. The book also delves into issues that have received less attention and highlights the social and psychological structures that normalize gender-based oppression.
In this book, gender-based humiliation and oppression are portrayed so starkly that one can feel the pain deep within one’s soul, and it is impossible for a person to read the novel without being affected. Among the issues it highlights are unreasonable beauty standards, harassment in clubs and discos, ridiculing the dreams and desires of a gender in the workplace, and mocking artistic sensibilities as well as clothing choices. In “Egalia’s Daughters,” it is men are raped and are fearful of navigating empty parks and streets at night. Men are subjected to group sexual assault as their penis tourniquets are torn apart. When they return to their family homes, they cannot tell their relations of the shame and disgrace they have endured. As a victim of sexual assault, Petronius cannot articulate the incident due to his shame and guilt. Sexual assault, in addition to personal humiliation, carries within it multiple layers of social embarrassment, as victims face both suspicion and demands for explanations from family members.
The author’s words quickly immerse readers in the diverse facets of gender inequality. Through the feminization of language in the novel, the author has constructed a space that effortlessly allows readers to delve into aspects of gender discrimination as changes in names and terms, sayings, and even the feminization of the annual calendar all serve to reinforce female dominance.
In Egalia’s society, oppressed men nurture dreams of personal and societal success but face barriers created by women. For instance, no man can become a diver or sailor because the governing laws and dominant values have created a belief that men do not possess the talent for diving and sailing.
In “Egalia’s Daughters,” Petronius is forced to shave his body and chest because men’s body hair is considered unattractive according to society’s beauty standards. And he becomes the target of ridicule and mockery while waiting by the pedestrian crossing due to the appearance of his penis tourniquet.
One of the most critical points in this book is the horrific tragedy that humans inflict upon one another due to gender differences, regardless of which gender holds power. To that end, the author structures the novel so as to convey that feminism can never be used to oppress men. Yet, though the plots are designed to evoke emotional empathy with Petronius, there is not much change when it comes to true justice.
At the outset, the reader realizes that “Egalia’s Daughters” is written to address gender inequality and demonstrate discrimination. The author meticulously describes events that have made gender inequality possible in a society, effectively dismantles linguistic structures, and uses satire to remove ambiguity from gender relationships.
As well, “Egalia’s Daughters” opens the reader’s eyes to all the subtle forms of sexual injustice in societies where women experience gender apartheid daily. Gender discrimination takes many forms, and this novel addresses them with intricate nuance. The suffering in this novel will be familiar to all those suffering in Afghanistan today.
Zalmay Kave is an activist, translator, poet and literary critic who lives in Sweden.
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