Evolutionary Biology and Women

Protecting women is a man’s responsibility – this is a lesson rooted in evolutionary psychology

A common tendency across all societies is to take extra care of women. This is a law of nature.

There is a popular concept in the scientific world known as “Mitochondrial Eve.” Mitochondrial Eve is a hypothesis that has emerged through genetic research. Scientists believe that the mitochondrial DNA of all living humans today – which is passed only from mother to child – once came from a specific woman who lived in Africa approximately 150,000 to 200,000 years ago. However, this does not mean that all humans are her direct descendants. Rather, her mitochondrial DNA lineage has survived, while the lineages of other women have disappeared.

One of the fundamental characteristics of living beings is their desire to leave a replica of themselves in the world. That’s why reproduction and caring for offspring are of utmost importance to all life forms. Many animals, especially mothers, sacrifice their own lives to bring their offspring into the world or to protect them. Humans, even in their subconscious minds, accept this truth – that the end of their life in this world means the end of their feelings, emotions, and consciousness. No matter how much religion promises rewards in the afterlife, humans instinctively seek to preserve their legacy in this world to maintain the continuity of their existence. And this continuity of life is impossible without women.

Evolutionary biology tells us that when a man dies, the species survives, but when a woman dies, the possibility of generating new life is lost. But why? Is a man’s death less significant than a woman’s? Consider this: if a man has sex with a thousand women in a year, he can theoretically father a thousand children. But if a woman has sex with a thousand men in a year, she can give birth to only one child. That’s why the death of a woman is always more dangerous than the death of a man. If the number of women in society decreases, what will men do with their sperm? If there aren’t enough women to conceive, what use is a man’s DNA? A man could, if he wanted, father a thousand children in a year and then die. But if a woman dies after a year, she would have produced only one child – and that child might eventually perish due to the absence of the mother.

Men have known this instinctively since the time when language didn’t even exist. That’s why they have always protected women. Raising a hand against a woman is considered a distinct wrongdoing; disrespecting a woman is viewed more severely. In society, physical aggression against a woman is treated as more sensitive than aggression against a man. This is known as the “Maternal Investment Safeguard Hypothesis.”

Women conceive and raise children, which is a biologically crucial and sensitive process. For this reason, ancient societies had a natural tendency to protect women, ensuring the survival of the species. According to the Parental Investment Theory, since women invest more time and energy in childbirth, behaviors have evolved among men that encourage the protection and support of women.

That’s why all noble men are caring toward women. Every society offers them special respect and protection. You could say that women are not given their rightful entitlements – but that happens when society exercises economic and political authority. In those domains, women deserve full dignity. But overall, the distinct way society treats women is evident everywhere. Raising a hand against a woman is considered a grave injustice, giving up a seat for a woman, not allowing her to do physically strenuous work – these are lessons from evolutionary psychology passed down through centuries. Without women, the human species cannot survive.