Elon Musk was raised under a family deeply rooted in the patriarchal nature of Afrikaner (Boer) society within apartheid South Africa.
For a background - here's a look at the gender-based limitations white women faced:
- Patriarchal Structure: Afrikaner society was deeply patriarchal, rooted in conservative Calvinist beliefs. This placed men as the heads of households and dominant figures in society. Women were generally expected to fulfill traditional roles as wives and mothers.
- Inferior Status: While not always explicitly stated, women were often considered subordinate to men in terms of authority and decision-making.
- Property and Finances: Historically, within Afrikaner culture, control of property and finances was primarily held by men. While some women might inherit property, their ability to independently manage it could be limited. Control of money was generally held by the husbands.
- Living Alone: It would have been considered unusual and socially unacceptable for a white Afrikaner woman to live alone. Women were expected to be under the protection and authority of a male figure (father, husband, or male relative).
- Husband's Authority: Husbands held significant legal and social authority over their wives. While specific laws varied, there were instances where husbands had considerable power, including the potential for: Committing a wife to an asylum, though this would likely have involved some form of medical or legal process, it was far easier for the husband to do this than it would have been for the wife. While throwing a wife out of the house would have had social repurcussions, the husband held the vast majority of the power in the household. It is important to understand that the legal system favored the husband.
It's important to remember that:
- These social norms and practices could vary among different segments of the Afrikaner community.
- While white women had more rights than Black South African women, they still faced significant gender-based limitations within their own community.
Have we answered the question of what rights Mr. Musk feels that American women have or should have in the United States?
However, we cannot, under any circumstances, considering the behavior we have seen, that Mr. Musk feels that American women in the United States have the right to any rights at all.
