The hegemony tax: Performing masculinities and femininities by Egypt's Mubarak and Mrs. Mubarak

Menshawy, M. (2024) The hegemony tax: Performing masculinities and femininities by Egypt's Mubarak and Mrs. Mubarak. Women's Studies International Forum, 103: 102866. ISSN 0277-5395

Abstract

Hegemonic femininity has previously been defined as a static entity describing the behaviour of some women as they oppress other women for the sake of reinforcing hegemonic masculinity. In return, those women are paid limited and marginal benefits, alongside heavy “taxes” (Hamilton et al., 2019), including entrenching the subordination of all women as a group to men. This article makes a number of arguments. First, the benefits, or, “premiums” paid to women are proportional to their value to hegemonic masculinity. Second, hegemonic masculinity and hegemonic femininity are linked not only by dominance but also by resistance. There is the possibility for women to maximise their premiums, meaning the interests of hegemonic masculinity and hegemonic femininity may not always align. Third, we need to consider both the delivery and receptiveness of hegemonic masculinity and hegemonic femininity, that is, how people perceive them by accepting, rejecting or falsifying the payment system. Through the example of Egypt's first lady, Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, the article applies what I introduce as the “hegemony tax” approach to contend that there is a tax on the benefits of hegemonic femininity for both the woman and her male partner.