It is assumed by many that today things have changed. Woman are no longer the weak creatures they once were who need the strength of man to keep them going. Today women are strong, educated and independent. There was a saying popularized in the 60's when the feminist movement took off [led of course, by Jews - as is just about every movement except for Nazism]: "A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle".
I never knew how much fish needed bicycles...
The reality is that society has changed but a woman's basic nature has not.
Let me illustrate. Sheryl Sandburg is by all accounts a very strong, independent, free thinking, outspoken woman. She is the COO of Facebook and she has over a billion more dollars than either of us. Power, prestige, influence and, the most important in our crrrrazzzzy world - MONEY!!!
What does she lack??
Ask her. She would tell you that she lacks her husband who suddenly died in 2015 and would give up her job, prestige and money to have him back. She describes him as being her "rock", a strong person who was there for her whenever she needed him. She gets teary eyed in front of millions of people talking about him.
Facebook, Shmacebook. She remains a woman and a woman needs a strong man. She wrote a book about dealing with her loss and grief. She speaks of how shattered she was and how hard it was to continue. What gives her strength to move on is - here is another womanly attribute - her children. Now she is actively looking for another husband because a woman needs a man like fish needs water. And a man without a woman is not a person!! [Yevamos 63]
The healthiest thing for society would be to encourage women to cultivate their feminine traits and to let the men be men. This world needs manly, masculine men and feminine women.
It is bad for everyone when gender lines are blurred.
This doesn't mean that men shouldn't help take care of their children or cook meals or women shouldn't go to medical school. But it does mean that by being who one is and not who society dictates that they should be is a great boon to mental health and personal satisfaction.
