I'm a Russian woman who's been in the US for 10 years now (dating American guys, most of my friends are American, so I'm very integrated into the culture). One thing that still amazes me is that American women feel like they have something to prove to the men around them. I don't understand it! I enjoy being a woman with mostly male friends, and i have no problems with making my boyfriend dinners, letting him put together furniture, etc.
I find getting help from guys empowering cos hey, then i don't have to do stuff! I've met so many women over the years who feel like they have to assert demonstrated in really strange ways ("I can walk home alone at 3 am!" or "I can carry that dresser up 3 flights of stairs!"). I know i'm equal to my boyfriend, but i also know he's stronger and i make better steaks, so can someone explain the whole having to prove your equality to me?
I want to say that I am glad to hear women who don't feel oppressed.
A little history on the subject....
Many years ago in the US women didn't have all the same privilege as men. They couldn't vote or do several others things men could. The feminist movement rose up and brought about equal privilege in these areas. This was a good thing to happen.
After that the more radical people in the movement have continued to feel oppressed and voice that opinion. Just because they feel that way doesn't mean they are anymore. But, in the US small voices can speak very loudly and have a significant impact on things.
Much of this modern feminist movement looks down on staying home to raise kids, cooking meals, etc. They tend to look at it as a unisex with the working world as the place to be and if you aren't in it you are oppressed.
This is of course just a point of view. Cooking can be great fun (I am a guy who loves it). Raising kids is a joy that people who work miss out on parts of.
I look at my mom. She doesn't have to do certain labors cause my dad does. She had the privilege to stay home with the kids because my dad worked. She got to be with us kids more often because of that and it's something my dad missed out on. My dad working gave her so many privilege in life.
Modern psychology, biology, and sociology show that men and women are different. They crave different things. Their brains even react differently to different things. They are physically build differently making them more physically suited for certain tasks. They are chemically different inside. This also shows that men think more physically and specially. It's part of the difference in brain operation. This is part of the reason men like physical labor more. The male body is physically built that way from muscle structure to brain activity. In turn women are built to carry children and have the chemical and brain structure for a stronger connection to those children.
This contradicts the unisex idea that we are the same except for our reproductive organs but many deny this.
It's really a product of the modern feminist movement.