Around the world Quote by Christopher Ryan
““And yet, despite repeated assurances that women aren't particularly sexual creatures, in cultures around the world men have gone to extraordinary lengths to control female libido: female genital mutilation, head-to-toe chadors, medieval witch burnings, chastity belts, suffocating corsets, muttered insults about "insatiable" whores, pathologizing, paternalistic medical diagnoses of nymphomania or hysteria, the debilitating scorn heaped on any female who chooses to be generous with her sexuality...all parts of a worldwide campaign to keep the supposedly low-key female libido under control. Why the electrified high-security razor-wire fence to contain a kitty-cat?””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Sex at Dawn, Christopher Ryan & Cacilda Jethá, 2010
Societies have historically suppressed female sexuality through various oppressive practices, reflecting a fear of women's sexual autonomy.
In simple terms: Women’s sexuality is often controlled by cultural repression.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and challenge gendered sexual repression.
Themes
gender
sexuality
power
culture
oppression
Mood
frustrated
determined
hopeful
Type
critical
analytical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- activism
- education
- policy reform
- personal empowerment
Key Concepts
patriarchy
social control
body autonomy
Questions to Reflect On
- How does cultural fear of female sexuality manifest today?
- What steps can individuals take to dismantle these controls?
A Different Perspective
Repression can be deeply ingrained, making change slow and contested.
![“[Man] has imagined a heaven, and has left entirely out of it the supremest of all his delights, the one ecstasy that stands first and foremost in the heart of every individual of his race…sexual intercourse! It is as if a lost and perishing person in a roasting desert should be told by a rescuer…” quote by Christopher Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/939/christopher-ryan-4309_joy_man-has-imagined-a-heaven-and-has-left-e_187069.jpg)
