Womb envy: The cause of misogyny and even male achievement?

SynopsisAlthough misogyny, patriarchy and gender inequity are central concepts of gender studies, the original cause(s) of these symptoms are not as widely explored as the symptoms themselves. Womb envy has been cited as a possible cause. This article provides an attempt at a complete literature review of womb envy (sometimes referred to as parturition envy, vagina envy, uterus envy or even woman envy), structured by theme (manifestations of this concept in, for example, social anthropology, religion and literature), followed by an analysis of the silence surrounding the concept of womb envy. It also examines scholarly input that supports Karen Horney's suggestion that this envy may be the cause of much of male achievement in recorded history.