Beneath the Sole: The 1 Powerful Metaphor They Still Don’t Get

Mumbai: Ever wondered about this round-the-table discussion that’s been the heat of any possible argument you may pick up in the current world, which apparently would make a lot of brains blow out, but hey, we love a little bloodshot, don’t we, ladies? – Makes a bit of a metaphor.

The all-time conflagration versus the Inferno. How come even if the topic’s not in their box, they’re still deliberately involved or more like dragged into it? Thinking, who am I talking about? Well, let’s discuss these hot figuratives called Patriarchy and Feminism. Oh, not forgetting the in-between badges like men’s rights activists, conservative figures, the good guys, male allies, and the women with internalised misogyny.

Ah, the old familiar tango of Patriarchy and Feminism—where patriarchy, in all its outdated finery, is that nagging guy in iron boots, not only tapping but also firmly setting said boot on the collective neck of womanhood, as if it were some kind of divine right granted at the Last Supper of Gender Inequality.

Let’s decode that picturesque metaphor, shall we?

Envision a world—ahem, sorry, you don’t have to—where systemic oppression is as ubiquitous as your morning chai. Patriarchy isn’t just a thing; it’s thriving like that unwelcome guest who not only crashes the party but reorganizes your furniture and dictates how to host.

The “boot” in this lovely image isn’t any old shoe—it’s tied up with centuries of economic marginalization, educational gatekeeping, and the fuzzy, warm idea that a woman’s drive should comfortably fit between baking banana bread and being told to “smile more.” And the “neck”? That’s freedom, voice, mobility—all throttled kindly, naturally, under the cover of tradition and what’s “best for her.

Sarcasm aside (only briefly), let’s bring in some data to tighten the laces:

• Just 8.1% of Fortune 500 CEOs were women as of 2023. It’s easier to spot a unicorn than a woman running an international conglomerate.
• Women get approximately 77 cents on every dollar earned by men worldwide. So, essentially, patriarchy tips her well for doing the same job, just in invisible ink.
• In political representation? Only a paltry 26.5% of parliamentarians globally are female. Evidently, the ‘voice of the people’ still cracks at soprano.
  

Here we are, in a world where patriarchy comes in steel-toed boots, unashamedly sitting on the collective throat of womankind. Not metaphorically — well, all right, metaphorically — but with such societal bulk that it leaves a lasting impression. Feminism, for goodness’ sake, just has the temerity to say (and sometimes scream), “Excuse me, would we please take the shoe off our cervical vertebrae?

‘And because of that, feminists are referred to as angry, irrational, hysterical — because nothing is more irrational than demanding to breathe’

Now come the Men’s Rights Activists, sneaking onto the stage with their crocodile tears and their proverbial pearls in hand over “reverse oppression.” Getting asked to give up a seat of unwarranted preeminence is somehow comparable to being sent off to the emotional gulag. Feminism, for them, isn’t a cry for equality; it’s a bra-burning witches’ conspiracy hell-bent on hijacking their place at the barbershop.

And then there are the conservatives. Ah, the conservatives! Always the defenders of tradition, they glance at the boot and say, “Well, it’s been that way for centuries, hasn’t it? If she would just tilt her neck a little bit, it wouldn’t hurt so much. Really, the issue isn’t the boot — it’s her attitude.” These are the folks who idealise oppression, labelling it “the good old days” and confusing nostalgia with systemic dysfunction.

And then, of course, the Good Guys. These are the guys who believe they’re rescuing the day simply by not actively trampling. ‘Not all boots!’ they cry, as if the system is only bad when it personally involves them. They’re the ones who will compose you a poem about the loveliness of women’s strength… and then mansplain feminism to a woman who’s read bell hooks in her sleep.

Now the Male Allies, who approach feminism as if it is a finicky soufflé, cringing at the thought that one blunt remark will cause it to fall. They believe in equality, as long as no one is actually required to sacrifice anything. ‘Let’s not alienate the boot,’ they insist. As if being nice to leather ever swayed empires.

And then, oh boy, we strike the women with internalized misogyny — bootlickers extraordinaire. They’ve talked themselves into believing that the leather is cosy, the laces are sexy, and the sole? Why, it’s almost like exfoliating. These are the ones who whisper from beneath the heel, ‘You’re just making a big deal about this. I prefer it this way.’ In their universe, Stockholm Syndrome becomes lifestyle choice.

Meanwhile, the boot stays planted firmly, not moving—not because it can’t, but because it won’t. Why should it? It’s comfortable up there. Up high. Untouched. The boot, for that matter, never feels the neck.

But let’s be clear here: this’s not about shaming men — it’s about shaming systems. Systems constructed not with nails and hammers, but silence, obedience, and bureaucratic lag. The kinds that leave gaps in pay open, reproductive autonomy disputed, boards of directors skew male, and history texts suspiciously void of tales involving anyone who did not grow a beard and claim something.

And yet we are treated to the familiar refrain: ‘But things are better now!’ Certainly, and the plague is no longer a world pandemic—doesn’t mean we hang a banner and call it equality.

Patriarchy is not always a shrieking despot; occasionally, it’s a condescending whisper, an indulgent ‘let me assist you’ as it takes the pen out of your grasp to retell your tale. It’s a velvet-gloved backhanded compliment: ‘You’re intelligent—given that you are a woman’ or ‘We’d like to have a woman on staff, only this job’s just too much.’

The boot’s still there. Maybe it’s got a better polish now—sleek, socially acceptable, sometimes disguised in progressive branding—but make no mistake: it’s still pressing down. And until that boot is removed—not just lightened—we’ll keep calling it out with metaphors sharp enough to slice through its laces.

To call for the boot to be removed is not an act of war. It’s not radical. It’s not bitterness. It’s a call for what was never provided — an even playing field.

So next time someone utters, “Why are feminists still so angry?”, maybe hand them a neck brace and ask how long they’d last under 150 pounds of societal force.

And if they don’t get it? Tell them the boot sent its regards.

Also read: Navigating Women’s Health Communication and Career Growth

<p>The post Beneath the Sole: The 1 Powerful Metaphor They Still Don’t Get first appeared on Hello Entrepreneurs.</p>