Gender at large, for good or for bad

Subject: Gender at large, for good or for bad.

The complexity of the gender difference only deepens as we  men sit listening to guidance on the physical and mental toil of being a woman.

 As a man of a certain age I have experienced many reformations of how women are treated, recognised and evaluated in society at large. Of course we are in every way equal in both law and in our consideration and make up at least 50% of humanity.

The old concept of man as the wage earner and the over all family protector and women as child rarer and home maker is an out of date stereotype which had many variables but was accepted in those days by many as the role men and women play. It gave a structure which doled out responsibility that most people felt comfortable with and formed the basis, not only of parenting but a mans duty and accountability towards the family. The mother having carried the child for 9 months is bonded in a physiological way far beyond what most men offer and their reaction to the child is emotional rather than physiological and although some men would counter this I believe it's their level of willing an emotional state of mind rather than the instinctive maternal state of mind which a mother feels towards their child and makes the fundamental difference.
Having said this we are reminded, virtually on a daily basis that women need special consideration and whilst we receive conflicting stories of their vulnerability and their innate  strength we also learn lessons which were verboten to speak of in the past, the effect both physically and mentally of menstruation and the menopause.
Men grow up in a virtual heaven threatened only when they behave stupidly and place themselves in danger. There are no pitfalls to their gender other than they are expected to shoulder arms and die for their country, which largely means the protection of women and children. Their sense of a lack of vulnerability means that a walk in the dark or accepting a lift is a value judgement which normally has good outcomes but for women it's a very different story. Living under this cloak of fear and the pain inflicted on being a woman makes their sense of social entitlement to counteract this fear is so much greater and as we seek to mitigate that threat their claim for special consideration becomes ever greater.
Yesterday it was suggested that jail is no place for a woman because many of the crimes they commit are done under the duress of their psychosomatic condition. It might be argued that testosterone in the male also plays a part in their behaviour and our overall behaviour in both men and women are guided by our chemistry. Even the chemistry which governs the mind predetermines many of our actions. The moral teachings in philosophical books and amongst religious teaching only goes so far in overcoming what in some is simply Mother Nature asserting her control.

And then there’s the woman’s football team, the Lionesses where everything is turned on its head and they behave just like men.