Women's History: Cat fight! - Conflicts between women

CAT FIGHT! Conflicts between women

There are four different types of women in the photo above.

On the left is a middle-aged woman in hijab (wearing a veil, probably a refugee from a rural area), next is an older urban woman (modern but poor), followed by a tall brunette woman (the Bosnian ideal), and a blonde woman (traditionally frowned upon in Bosnian culture).

The attributes that distinguish these women from each other are also a source of conflict between others like them and have been since such divisions existed.

All three of the other women probably harbor some jealousy about the ideal woman - her beauty, her youth, her height, her hair color. The modern women probably hold some disregard for the two older women - the peasant, the out-of-fashion hausfrau. The veiled woman probably looks at the young women with disdain - tight jeans, shameless.

All of this conflict either exists or it doesn't exist. When women are friends, truly friends, compassion and a desire to see the other do well takes over. But women can be vicious with those whom they feel no emotional attachment to. As they say, when a beautiful woman enters the room - every man turns and savors her appearance. Every woman has already scanned her over like a computer, identified a flaw, and has consoled herself.

When we are so often together in a struggle to achieve the lives we want for ourselves, our daughters, and granddaughters - why are we equally often in conflict with each other? Is it patriarchial influence - subconscious 'divide and conquer'. Is it biological, instinct, competition?

Please share some examples of the societal lines along which women place their front lines against each other in your culture, as well as the reasons why you feel women do this and any other thoughts that come to mind along these lines.