Misogyny and violence against women: The symbolic dimensions of gender and patriarchy

Abstract

This article critically analyzes the presence of misogyny and violence against women in the symbolic construction of two female fi gures present in cosmogonic myths of great value to Western culture: Pandora and Eve. The relevance of this analysis resides in the character of these narratives as stories that recount the genesis of sexist diff erentiation between men and women. Specifi cally, this article maintains that two primary elements emerge from the myths of Pandora and Eve and contribute to the reproduction of symbolic violence towards women: feminine devaluation and the imperative of being for another. The article concludes that visualizing the underlying elements of symbolic violence in these narratives is an essential exercise in the eff ort to unravel the connections between past and present inscribed in cultural expressions that naturalize violence against women.