Why I Believe Modern Culture Has Eroded Women’s Wisdom
I boldly state on my homepage that modern culture has eroded women’s wisdom. I also recognize that this statement deserves an explanation.
Understanding where we are today requires a look at how we got here. And beyond that, I want to offer a way forward—not just a critique of history, but an empowering path to reclaim what was lost.
I’m not a scholar, nor did I study this in university (my degree is in business). What follows is a synthesis of discussions from the extensive INNATE Postpartum Care Practitioner course, research into my Dutch ancestry through historical sources, and insights from books by Marija Gimbutas, ‘The Great Cosmic Mother’ by Monica Sjöö and Barbara Mor, and many others.
This is a short write-up considering the topic, and I don’t claim to have it all figured out, but I believe sharing this information is important—especially since much of it isn’t widely taught in history classes. I’d love to continue the conversation and hear different perspectives.
The Origins of Patriarchy: A Shift in Power
Patriarchy, a social system in which men hold primary power, has not always existed. Early human societies were largely egalitarian, with men and women sharing responsibilities for hunting, gathering, and decision-making. However, around 10,000–12,000 years ago, during the Neolithic period, a shift began.
The European Context: From Matrilineal Societies to Male Dominance
Prehistoric European cultures, particularly those of the Neolithic period, show signs of gender balance and even matrilineal structures. Archaeological evidence from societies in present-day Ukraine, Romania, and Moldova suggests that women played central roles in social, spiritual, and economic life.
Artifacts such as the "Venus" figurines and burial sites containing men and women with equal status indicators point to a time when female power was revered.
So what changed?
The Arrival of Indo-European Tribes (Around 3000 BCE)
A major turning point came with the migration of Indo-European tribes from the Eurasian steppes. These groups brought with them a more hierarchical and male-dominated way of life.
Their nomadic, pastoralist economy was centered on herding livestock, which was largely managed by men.
Horses and chariots gave them military superiority, reinforcing warrior-based societies.
Patrilineal inheritance ensured that land and wealth were passed through male lines, consolidating male authority.
Their belief systems, focused on sky gods and warrior deities, replaced the older goddess-centered traditions.
Could Scarcity and Crisis Have Sparked the First Shift?
Even these societies on Eurasian steppes were not always patriarchal. One theory is that early patriarchal tendencies arose in response to crises—like droughts, food shortages, or competition for land.
When survival is easy, cooperation makes sense.
When survival is hard, control becomes a strategy.
If a group experienced a climate disaster or resource collapse, they might have:
Shifted to stricter hierarchies—where strongmen (or a small elite) took over decision-making.
Prioritized warriors over caregivers—as conflict over resources became more common.
Started controlling women’s reproductive power—to ensure their tribe’s survival in a time of scarcity.
This could explain why nomadic, warlike societies (like the Indo-Europeans) became more patriarchal, while more stable, agricultural societies remained matrilineal longer.
The Indo-European Conquest and Cultural Domination
This shift was not a sudden or complete overthrow—it was a gradual cultural assimilation and replacement that happened over centuries.
As these pastoralist, patriarchal tribes spread across Europe (and well beyond), they didn’t just conquer the existing societies—they replaced their culture. This wasn’t always through brute force alone; sometimes, it was through assimilation, trade, and intermarriage. Over time the results were:
Language dominance: Indo-European languages (which most modern European languages descend from) spread across the continent, carrying their cultural values with them.
Shift in spiritual beliefs: Over time, Old European goddess-centered traditions were replaced or merged with Indo-European male-dominated pantheons. New warrior-god-centered belief systems replaced earlier, more balanced spiritual traditions.
Political and social structures: Once kingdoms and empires formed, the new rulers brought with them patriarchal bureaucratic and social structures, replacing more balanced or matrilineal customs.
Cultural assimilation: Over time, people adopted new ways of life without necessarily being violently overthrown.
Economic shifts: The shift from communal agriculture to male-controlled landownership reinforced patriarchal norms.
The Role of Religion and Law in Cementing Patriarchy
As patriarchal structures took hold, they were reinforced by:
Greek and Roman laws that placed women under male guardianship. (Including changing old mythology into new male God versions.)
Christianity, which absorbed patriarchal norms from earlier cultures and further restricted women’s roles. (Often placing churches literally on top of sacred Goddess sites like wells.)
Medieval feudalism, a medieval European system (9th–15th century) where land was held in exchange for loyalty, military service, and labor. This transitioned land inheritance from female to male lines, marginalizing women’s economic and social power.
One of the most striking and well known examples of how patriarchal institutions stripped women of power was the European witch hunts. Many women accused of witchcraft were midwives, healers, and landowners. Declaring them witches often meant their property could be seized by the Church or the state—a strategic move to transfer wealth and control away from women.
Why Was Women’s Power Systematically Undermined?
If women’s bodies are central to human survival, why did societies move to suppress their wisdom and influence?
Controlling Women = Controlling the Future
With the rise of wealth and structured society, controlling birth and lineage became crucial for maintaining power. This led to:
Marriage as a system of control to ensure male bloodlines.
The restriction of birth knowledge, marginalizing midwives and wise women.
The rise of patrilineal inheritance, making paternity control essential.
The Shift in Spiritual and Cultural Narratives
Earlier societies revered the Great Mother, fertility cycles, and earth-centered wisdom. As patriarchy expanded:
Male gods replaced female deities.
Women’s spiritual roles were diminished or erased.
Female power became something to fear, restrict, or punish.
This shift wasn’t just about gender—it was about a fundamental redefinition of wisdom, power, and leadership.
Is Patriarchy Reversible?
The good news? If patriarchy was constructed by social forces, it can be deconstructed, too. We are already witnessing a shift back toward valuing feminine wisdom, birth autonomy, and cooperation.
Steps Toward Rebalancing Society
Restoring the Wisdom of Women’s Bodies & Rites of Passage
Reclaiming birth as a sacred rite of passage.
Honoring menstrual cycles and menopause as natural transitions.
Reviving mother-centered and elder wisdom as sources of strength.
Redefining Leadership & Power
Moving from hierarchical control to cooperative leadership.
Elevating emotional intelligence, caregiving, and intuition alongside traditional leadership qualities.
Questioning patriarchal success models and embracing holistic approaches to thriving.
Healing Collective & Generational Trauma
Restoring community-based healing practices.
Supporting men in reconnecting with care and vulnerability.
Embracing rest and cyclical living instead of constant productivity.
Reconciliation; acknowledging past harms, fostering collective healing, and restoring balance—especially in birth work, where Indigenous maternal health calls for birth sovereignty and community-led care.
Reconnecting with the Natural World
Learning from Indigenous traditions and regenerative land practices.
Honoring Earth’s natural cycles rather than forcing extraction-based economies.
Shifting from land ownership to land stewardship.
Raising the Next Generation Differently
Teaching children cooperative, emotionally aware ways of relating.
Normalizing gender balance from birth.
Restoring rites of passage to create meaning and community support.
A Call to Action: Reclaiming Our Power
Returning to balance doesn’t mean rejecting all of modern life—it means consciously choosing a new foundation for how we relate to power, care, and the natural world.
We need:
More people remembering what was lost (for people with European ancestry that means going well beyond the last 500 years in history).
More people making amends with the violence and destruction in their ancestral lines as a result of patriarchy. (‘My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies’ by Resmaa Menakem is a great source for this.)
More people creating new systems centered on balance instead of control.
More people raising the next generation with different values.
This change won’t happen overnight, but it is already happening in small ways. Every mother who reclaims her autonomy in birth, every woman who honors her cycles, every community that prioritizes care over competition—these are all revolutionary acts.
Mamas, let’s do this!
