Male domination, and the low and stigmatised status of women, cause teenage girls to engage in punishment of their bodies through eating disorders and self-mutilation. There is increasing evidence that woman-hating Western cultures are toxic to girls and very harmful to their mental health. It is, perhaps, not surprising, therefore, that there seem to be some girls baling out and seeking to upgrade their status.
Interpretation
The quote addresses the harmful effects of societal expectations on women's bodies, leading to self-harm among teenage girls.
Sheila Jeffreys highlights the detrimental impact of male domination and societal attitudes towards women, suggesting that the stigma surrounding women contributes to serious issues such as eating disorders and self-mutilation among teenage girls. The quote indicates that these cultures, which perpetuate woman-hating narratives, are deeply harmful to mental health and may push girls to seek ways to elevate their status in a toxic environment.
In practice
In a speech addressing mental health in schools, one might use this quote to highlight the impact of societal pressures.
Men's ideas about what women are have been formed from their ruling caste position, and have assigned women characteristics that would most advantage their masters, as well as justify men's rule over them. They do not represent 'truth' but have been promoted as if they were, with the backing of science and patriarchal views of biology.
There are moments when the heart is generous, and then it knows that for better or worse our lives are woven together here, one with one another and with the place and all the living things.
It's round the world I've traveled; it's round the world I've roamed; but I've yet to see an outlaw drive a family from its home
How was she to tie herself to a man without permitting him to imprison her? And was there some means of acquiring things without those things possessing her?
If women were particular about men's characters, they would never get married at all.
Think of all the women you know who will not allow themselves to be seen without makeup. I often wonder how they feel about themselves at night when they are climbing into bed with intimate partners. Are they overwhelmed with secret shame that someone sees them as they really are? Or do they sleep with rage that who they really are can be celebrated or cared for only in secret?
For ballroom dancing, remember that your partners have their own distinctive styles also. Cultivate flexibility. Be able to adapt your style to that of your partner. In doing so, you are not surrendering your individuality, but blending it with that of your partner.
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