The Irony of Women’s Rights Progress: Inspired by Aeschylus’ Play The Suppliants

Last night, under the star-filled sky of the ancient Epidavros theater, I watched Aeschylus’ play The Suppliants. This play was written in and about the very same area where my family and I were sitting 2,500 years later.

In The Suppliants, Aeschylus presents fifty daughters of Danaus fleeing forced marriages to their cousins. These women seek asylum in Argos, appealing to King Pelasgus for protection. The play is a powerful exploration of the tension between individual rights and societal expectations, particularly as it relates to women.

As the more than two-thousand-year-old story of women fighting for their autonomy unfolded in front of me, I couldn’t help but feel the irony of our endless struggle for women’s emancipation. I was surprised that the ancient Greeks actually cared about topics such as gender roles, autonomy, and the right of women to make their own choices. Yet, it was also shocking to realise that, millennia later, we can explore Mars, create self-driving cars, and manage massive amounts of data, yet we are still struggling with issues that the ancient Greeks were publicly addressing back then. It’s almost comical—if it weren’t so sad.

2,500 Years On: Are We Still Fighting the Same Battle for Women’s Rights? 

Yes, in many parts of the world, women can now choose their partners, pursue careers, and have control over their bodies. However, it’s crucial to recognise that progress is not universal. And the fact that these are still considered achievements rather than basic rights shows how far we have yet to go. In some regions, women still face forced marriages, limited educational opportunities, and restricted personal freedoms. Even in more progressive societies, issues like the gender pay gap, underrepresentation in leadership roles, and subtle (or even obvious) forms of discrimination persist.

The journey from the world of The Suppliants to our current state has been marked by countless struggles and victories. Women are breaking barriers in every field imaginable—science, politics, business, sports, and the arts. We’ve seen female leaders rise to the highest offices in their countries, CEOs shattering glass ceilings in boardrooms, and scientists making groundbreaking discoveries. The #MeToo movement has brought issues of sexual harassment and assault into the spotlight, demanding accountability.

Yet, as I sat in that ancient theater, watching the Danaids plead for their right to choose, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we’re still fighting variations of the same battle. While in my head I was saluting Aeschylus for daring to be so controversial and feministic, at the same time I could not help questioning myself if I do enough for my daughter, my friends, and my “Danaids” to continue their battle.

And how do I feel even imagining that 2,500 years later, someone will be sitting in that same theater, wondering why we’re still grappling with the same fundamental issues?

From Danaids to Daughters: Breaking the Cycle of Patriarchy in Raising Our Kids 

As a woman, thousands of times I’ve been judged on the basis of my gender. Unlike the the Suppliants’ Danaids, nobody has ever beaten me, but it has become an inseparable part of me to always walk many extra miles to be listened to and heard as much as the man next to me. I’ve stopped resisting the fact that in many aspects of our life, and especially in careers, a mediocre man would be trusted more, would sell easier, and would be generally a more desirable candidate for many positions. Our grandmothers, then our mothers, non-negotiably moved some rocks, and that makes me wonder what our generation can give to our kids.

Taking inspiration from The Suppliants, I believe the least we can do is educate our daughters to value freedom and self-expression over patriarchal approval, much like the Danaids who challenged the societal expectations imposed upon them. We can teach our girls that, unlike the women in ancient Greece, they have the power to shape their own lives. Encourage them to question authority and challenge systems that limit their potential, just as the the Suppliants’ Danaids questioned the legitimacy of forced marriages.

Foster a spirit of solidarity among women, similar of the fifty sisters who stood together against oppression. Instead of preparing them for roles subservient to men, empower an entrepreneurial mindset. Teach them to identify opportunities, take calculated risks, and create value – skills that would have served the Danaids well had they lived in our time.

Emphasise that true empowerment comes not from seeking a powerful man’s protection, as the women did with King Pelasgus, but from building their own strength and resources. By reframing the lessons of this ancient play for our modern world, we can raise daughters who are not suppliants, but leaders and innovators in their own right.

Just as the Danaids couldn’t win without men’s support, we can’t thrive without it either. The good thing here is that, as moms, we can educate our sons to be partners and allies of women. Encourage them to recognise and challenge systemic inequalities, much like how the play questions the social norms of its time. Foster empathy and respect for women’s autonomy, emphasising that true strength lies in supporting others’ freedoms, not in domination.

Adopt the idea that a society thrives when all its members are empowered, just as Argos ultimately benefited from protecting the the Suppliants’ Danaids. By reframing masculinity away from patriarchal control and more towards supportive partnership, we can raise sons who contribute to a more equitable society where both men and women can freely express themselves and pursue their ambitions.

As I left that magical theater that night, I felt both the weight of history and the spark of possibility. The story of the the Suppliants’ Danaids, so ancient yet so relevant, has renewed my commitment to pushing for more. I imagined ancient Greek women in the audience, seeing their struggles represented on stage, feeling a spark of recognition and hope. And with a heart breaking feeling I imagine that among thousands of people who were enjoying tonights show there were women, who’s life is no different from the Danaids.

The Suppliants reminded me that while we’ve come far, the journey is far from over. It’s now our turn to pick up the torch, to educate our daughters to value their freedom and to raise sons who will be true allies in the fight for equality. The challenge lies in breaking cycles of patriarchal thinking that have persisted for thousands of years, in both men and women.

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