I worked in the corporate world in a big city for thirty some years without ever feeling that my male counterparts and bosses checked my advancement on the basis of my female sex. I then moved to the country and worked in a field (agriculture and natural resources) for more than a decade where men dominated. I always felt that they respected me and accepted my contributions.
It was not until I ran for public office and had conservative men tell me that I could not do the job solely on the basis of my sex that I experienced prejudice. Let me tell you, it is a stunner. There is absolutely nothing that a candidate can do to counter that. Nevertheless, I won with a substantial margin.
Conservatives need to support female conservative candidates and that means that some have to get over their antiquated view that the little woman belongs at home taking their direction.
The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. It is not a question of "taking direction", but one of utilizing individual talents to the best and greatest good of our household and family. I do not tell my wife what to buy at the grocery store, I do not have time to micromanage our home while I am out in the boonies doing wellsite geology on an oil rig. We discuss the major things, she takes care of the petty and mundane, commonly without any input from me. I TRUST her judgement, or I would never have married her.
We have different skills, which compliment one another. It is not a question of Og telling Ogette to put another log on the fire.
I pity the people who are miserable because they are doing what good little 21st century wifeys and hubbies are supposed to to be 'progressive' instead of living a life which might be more to their liking and fulfillment. I also pity those women who feel threatened by a mom who can fix 'boo-boos' without taking the kid to an ER, can do carpentry and paint the living room by her self, without feeling the irrational need to subjugate her femininity to be more of a 'man' than a m'am.
It is a not a question of who does what so much as one of what is best for our family.
My workweek only runs 14/7, my wife's runs 10 hours per day longer, and for that she has my unfailing respect.