When Men Define Womanhood: The Power, The Harm, and The Resistance

For centuries, men have claimed the authority to define what a woman is. From religious texts to medical books, from courtrooms to boardrooms, men hav

For centuries, men have claimed the authority to define what a woman is. From religious texts to medical books, from courtrooms to boardrooms, men have dictated the terms of womanhood—who qualifies, who doesn’t, and what the consequences are for those who dare to step outside their definition. But make no mistake—this has never been about understanding women. It has always been about controlling us.

Who Gave Men the Authority to Define Womanhood?

The idea that men have the right to define women is deeply rooted in patriarchy, misogyny, and sexism. Each plays a role:

Patriarchy sets the stage by ensuring that men hold power in law, religion, and society, allowing them to dictate what womanhood should be.
Misogyny enforces these definitions by punishing women who challenge them—whether through ridicule, exclusion, violence, or erasure.
Sexism conditions society to accept male definitions of womanhood as natural, inevitable, and unquestionable.

How Men Have Controlled the Definition of Womanhood

Men’s control over defining womanhood has shown up in many ways throughout history:

Laws and Policies – Men have written laws that define women based on their ability to reproduce, stripping rights from those who fall outside those narrow boundaries.
Medical and Scientific Fields – Male doctors and scientists have dismissed, pathologized, or erased women’s realities, from reproductive health to the dismissal of female pain.
Religious Doctrine – Many faith traditions, shaped by male leaders, have defined womanhood through submission, modesty, and service to men.
Cultural Expectations – Women have been expected to perform femininity in ways that prioritize male comfort—quiet, beautiful, and compliant.
Modern Political Debates – Even today, men continue to debate and redefine what it means to be a woman, often with little input from actual women. These days women are told that we are simply and “idea”. Anyone can be us-aesthetically they mean. Because they never mean the part about the unpaid, unappreciated, and unacknowledged labor and work that women do.

The Harm This Causes Women

When men define womanhood, women lose autonomy over our bodies, our identities, and our futures. The consequences include:

Erasure of Women’s Experiences – When men define womanhood, the lived realities of women—especially Black women—are ignored, rewritten, or dismissed.
Legal and Economic Oppression – Laws restricting reproductive rights, workplace discrimination, and economic barriers are all rooted in male definitions of womanhood.
Increased Violence Against Women – When men define women primarily as objects of male desire or male eye candy, it fuels a culture where violence against women is excused or ignored.
The Silencing of Feminists and Advocates – Women who challenge male definitions of womanhood are attacked, censored, or dismissed as “troublemakers.”

Women Must Define Womanhood for Ourselves

Our bodies, our lives, our experiences—only women should define what it means to be a woman.
Black feminists like bell hooks, Audre Lorde, and Patricia Hill Collins have long fought against male-imposed definitions of womanhood that erase Black women’s struggles and voices.
Women’s liberation has always been about reclaiming our right to name ourselves, speak for ourselves, and fight for our own needs—not just be a reflection of what men want us to be. If you aren’t aware, feel free to catch up. Female writers are amazing! Insight + intuition + talent is a beautifully rich combination.

We Do Not Need Male Permission to Be Women

The fight to reclaim womanhood from male control is not new, and it is far from over. But one thing remains certain: we do not need men’s approval, validation, or definitions to exist. We define ourselves.