More than once I heard one of my colleagues say that she would very much like to be a man if there were an afterlife. I couldn’t help but wonder why she should have such a thought. You can't say that it's bad luck or unfair that you have to be someone's wife and have to give birth to a child, can you? Speaking of being a man or woman, I feel that she is not alone in having that wish.

In the eyes of an outsider, the lady I mentioned above is definitely a lucky person. There should be no reason for being dissatisfied with her female role in society. Being the only child in the family, she was and still is under the wings of her parents. Though she is married and lives a comfortable life, her parents often come to help with anything from housework to child care. She has a secure job, and more importantly, a husband who loves her very much. It is very hard to make a quarrel with him, as she put it. Then what on earth makes her unhappy about being a female?

Is it because there’s too much discrimination against women in our society? Are they receiving lots of unfair treatment in our daily life? There seems to be no obvious evidence that can prove our opposite sex is unequally treated either legally or in real life. Life itself is unfair and social inequality exists everywhere. However, we have to admit this world is mostly dominated by males. In China the feudal ideology that women are inferior to men is still steeped in people’s minds. You can make laws to safeguard the rights of women, but you cannot change one’s attitudes overnight.

There’s a lot for us to do in this regard if we want to change this situation. It takes more than just formality to show our sincere respect for the ladies around us. On the other hand, however, women also need to re-examine themselves. To a greater extent, respect is earned, not granted by anyone. To be honest; some women don’t regard themselves as equal with men deep in their heart. Only when you truly believe we’re all equal can you behave confidently and win the respect of others. Some females always expect help or protection from others. Actually, moderate independence is not only necessary but beneficial as well.

Sometimes we men feel like being in a dilemma. You may risk offending some ladies if you give “too much” protection or help. They’re equal citizens, anyway. If you choose to close your eyes, you’ll also be blamed for not being a gentleman. I personally believe the key is how to understand the concept that men and women are equal.