While much has been written about how patriarchy benefits men, another reality deserves attention — it also confines them. Though often framed as a women’s issue, patriarchy reduces men to financial machines. In many societies, a man is programmed to be the sole breadwinner. What appears as privilege is, in fact, a trap — one that defines a man’s worth not by his character, but by the weight of his wallet.
Patriarchy enforces emotional suppression, hegemonic masculinity and rigid provider roles. From an early age, boys are taught to hide their feelings. Weakness is associated with femininity and strength becomes the only accepted identity. The demand to appear strong and dominant becomes a lifelong burden. Men are also expected to shoulder the full responsibility of providing for their families. Their social value is measured through financial success, with marriage and respectability tied to earning power. These pressures confine men to narrow definitions of masculinity, leaving little room for vulnerability or emotional growth.
This mindset breeds psychological strain including depression, anxiety and a persistent identity crisis. It creates men who live under constant pressure to perform, yet lack the freedom to express pain or seek help. Scholars argue that true gender equality must lift this weight by distributing responsibilities fairly between genders. A just and healthy society, therefore, requires liberating both men and women from fixed expectations. Equality about freeing everyone from the roles that harm them.
Zia ud Din Kibzai
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