Before anything can be done to dismantle patriarchy, however, we all have to realize that none of us are out its reach. Every single person, regardless of gender or orientation, is affected by and subsequently passes on traits of patriarchy. Nothing kills a movement quicker than hypocrisy, and therefore it is important to take note of our own patriarchal tendencies and attempt to reform rather than ignore them.

Second, it is important to be educated on issues of feminism and women's rights. With this educational foundation, people will be able to build a force against patriarchy and hopefully begin to change our social norms for the better. The easiest target for a new kind of education would, of course, be our kids. Youth in today's society only seem to hear about feminism from the likes of Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity, and are brought up believing that feminists hate men and burn bras (which never really happened like folks say it did...). Rather than receive this bull hockey from outside sources, it is important that schools start teaching children about the great accomplishments of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul, Sojourner Truth, Audre Lorde, and so on. With this information firmly in place, children will grow up questioning the way that our society treats women and implements gender norms, rather than just accept it as fact.

This is not to say that once you're an adult you're completely unteachable. In fact, there are a number of ways to educate both yourself and others in regard to women's issues. As bell hooks discusses in her book Feminism Is for Everybody, for years it was common for women to get together and have "consciousness raising groups" where they could discuss the ways that patriarchy and sexism influence their everyday life. While these groups certainly provided women with a cathartic outlet, it also allowed them to share information and stories that would later provide the foundations of feminist theory. In recent years, groups such as these have all but died out. While some individuals still partake in consciousness raising, the vast majority of women and men have no clue what these groups are, and therefore never reap the benefits that they can provide. As feminists, we must once again start talking with one another outside an academic setting and share stories, feelings, and teachings with those who might not know that there are others out there who feel the way that they do. With more folks being informed about patriarchy and its devastating effects on everyone's lives, perhaps we will see an increase in public discourse regarding sexism.

Finally, in order to take down patriarchy we must actually do something about it! Far too often I see feminists (myself included!) get upset about something patriarchal and then do absolutely nothing to change it. Feminism is more than a belief - it is a living breathing movement that requires a clear advancement towards a goal. In order to properly call ourselves feminists, we must be actively working for the advancement of women's rights and the dismantlement of patriarchy.

While I know that this is a lofty goal, it is not one that is unattainable. We must stop believing the pessimists who say that patriarchy is how it has always been and always will be, and instead stand up and actively fight back. This could be something as big as running for public office on a pro-feminist platform, or something as small as letting a friend know that you think they're being a bit sexist. Anything that we can do to combat patriarchy is one step towards a brighter future for all genders, so lets stop doubting ourselves and actually get to work.