Feminine Mistake?

To preface this post I must clarify my position, or rather, in the absence of my own defined position at least explain my current standing. I am neither pro- nor anti-feminism as I feel each brings forth its own set of arguably good points. I believe women should function in the professional world to the same standards with the same remuneration as our male colleagues. On strictly biological terms, this is not possible. Where men will discuss, argue and ultimately resolve on a strictly objective level, we women tend to not only tackle the situation at hand but also the underlying issue(s) driving the situation i.e. colleague conflict. This is neither better nor worse, simply a difference of approach.

On the home front, I was raised in an equal roles home. Both parents worked, one cooked the other cleaned, one bathed the children while the other put them to bed. When one parent was overwrought with work or other life stresses the other parent would pick up the slack. Any other way is foreign to me. So, in a nut shell, I am all for equality. I believe in the core tenet as discussed by Betty Friedan in her widely popular book "The Feminine Mystique" which propounded the view that women could be fulfilled outside of the wife and mother roles historically considered the only acceptable roles for women.

But have we come that far from the June Cleaver era? Have we, in our search for equality pushed ourselves into a new, and ultimately impossible paradigm of wofe, mother, successful business woman and all around superwoman? If a woman devotes her life to her career she is considered a robot, a slave to the dollar and "the life". If she decides to stay home and raise her child she is considered a "Stepford Wife". If she decides to take on the two roles simultaneously she's, well insane and bound to burn out. As much as women have tried over the centruries to find our own voice, it seems that we have inadvertantly begun to drown in the din of our own war cries. We want to do it all, while men still carry on quid pro quo. And who can blame them? They no longer have the stress of being sole bread winner, they can come home on time, take the weekend off and maybe even golf on Friday afternoons.

Also in our bid to create gender equality, we have confused the opposite sex. They don't know how we'll take it if they pick up the bill on a date, or hold the door, or attempt to order us a drink. We bitch about the death of chivalry but just as quickly give them the stink eye when they even attempt to treat us as less than one of the guys.

In the end women have made great strides to make our voices heard in the world, to break away from the kitchen and make a difference across all areas of the business world. At the same time the dating landscape has been changed forever and chivalry may still exist however it will definately take a strong man to look another strong woman in the eye as he challengingly seizes the cheque from the dinner table.