Women are equal to men as human beings, in every way that matters.
I disagree. And so does my extremely civil-rights minded, "life-partner" (who also happens to be Canadian, a woman, vegetarian, a lawyer, and a wonderful mother), so you can dispense with resorting to some typical knee-jerk gender-biased gender-bias retort.
Women and men are *not* equal. In actual fact they are *different*. In ways that *matter*.
Not in a way that makes one "more" or "less", just in the way that right hands and left hands are different. Or semen and ova are different, if you want a more explicit example.
Men, in general, have an a greater amount of the hormone testosterone circulating within their bodies. Women, in general, have a greater amount of the hormone estrogen circulating.
The interaction of Testosterone with cognitive and physical functions is well documented to be different than that of Estrogen.
COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR (which I presume you will admit "matters") IS DIFFERENTIALLY AFFECTED in men and women. This leads to all kinds of differences in response, in behavior, in thought patterns, conclusions, actions and so on and so on. Some more or less appropriate in various circumstances, but neither more appropriate in general in all circumstances. Different and not equal, but not better.
I do agree with what you might be attempting to say, which is that these differences, while material, do not in aggregate render men or women more or less valuable as contributors to society - any more than left hands or right hands are any more inherrently valuable in grasping things, or semen and ova are with resepct to making babies.
Are semen and ova equal in all respects that matter? Can a man breast-feed a child? Does this *matter*?
In your practice, do you not regularly argue (at least when representing the woman) that the maternal bond is more signifcant than the paternal bond when it comes to provisions for a young child's residential schedule? Or do you admit to arguing irrelevance, and would you serve your client if you made such a claim to the judge?
Obviously you argue against your espoused views at your convenience.
Equality and equity are distinctly different concepts. You are mistaking the two.
Men and women are different. Not better or worse, just different.
Vive la difference! |
