I suppose I am writing both in support and against Jeffrey's ('Don't forget the emotionally abused men,' Dec 6 ). Here we go again in another duel of women versus men and I am game. I agree with Jeffrey that some women are difficult in his instances. Some women love to have a man provide all for them and they decline to total convalescence.

Some women, especially from the old school of thought, tend to play victim and expect a man to achieve high degrees of success when they themselves have no idea what it entails, since for the most part, they are at home.

In a purely chauvinist society, don't blame a woman if she complains and is dumb. After all, she is deprived of so many things and is dictated by the the so-called stronger sex. I hope when Jeffrey uses the terms 'emotionally marginalised' and 'intellectually-challenged', he wasn't referring solely to women. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now and go on to something else.

Why do cases like wife battery and abuse happen? Simply because of male dominance and society's conditioning toward these sexes. Men have to be strong and know everything, women are fragile and are excused for being ignorant about many things.

This ends up making most women reliant on men and at their mercy. All the women's societies in the world are not going to put an end to these issues unless the core of the problem is resolved - the attitude of women themselves.

If women were more capable, stronger, more financially independent and had no inferiority to men, these abuses would occur less and less. It has been proven in countries where women are financially independent that abuses happen less.

But coming back to Jeffrey who came up with a list of what women do to disrupt a man's peace of mind. First of all, his list cannot even begin to compare to women battering where women are left with black eyes, scars and a broken heart.

But let's indulge him. These things happen without a doubt, but how is a woman to be completely blamed for such things? While I believe in total women equality, that doesn't mean I expect men to be invertebrates, new age, and all sensitive. They will come in all varieties just as women.

If a man were to have his wife or girlfriend hound him for all the things Jeffrey listed, quite simply, he has been quite a spineless person, hasn't he? He hasn't been firm at all with her unreasonable and insensitive ways. Just like a woman who believes she has to report every thing to her man or ask permission to go out, now, hasn't she lost her own spine too?

I believe such a man who has a woman inflict Jeffrey's list upon him would be a man who is quite chauvinist in his thinking. Plaguing him for money and comparing work promotions, aren't these all manifestations of a man's role in the big, wicked world, where all a woman has to do is rely on a man and housekeep?. (Yawn). And he allows it. He never thinks to tell her to expect the same of herself. Not in the chauvinist world.

So men, if you're so into male chauvinism, why are you complaining now? This is the downside of the chauvinist society. Enjoy it! A woman will expect all from her man, depend for all on her man and because of men saying 'No, women can't do this', women and their deprived opportunities will further add to Jeffrey's list.

The pressure is completely off her to perform just as well. The only thing she is expected to provide is sex. (And I'd just like to add that it is just as necessary to satisfy a women's needs as a man's one. Women have sexual urges and g-spots as well.)

A more liberated man would not put up with such a spoiled and worthless female. And because a chauvinist man cannot show his soft side, he is left to seethe and go crazy. Please do not come up with remarks like 'Men cannot win', because this is the very logic of the happy chauvinist society which so many small-headed men advocate. Dumb women for chauvinist men!

Men now complain of this abuse, this 'emotional' abuse. But why should men whine now? They were the ones laughing women off the battlefield and confining them to the kitchens. Practice what you preach.

Jeffrey obviously believes in the segregation of roles too, in his example of men wanting to go out with their buddies for drinks and not looking forward to going home and facing a nagging spouse. And of being suspicious of men going out with other women. Oh, puh-leeze!

Girls nowadays go out with their girlfriends too, without their boyfriends and have their own social calendars full. Please talk in tune with current times and please do not make all women sound as if their lives revolved around men.

Jeffrey mentions that women who blame men for their misfortune and unhappiness, if allowed to do so, will turn into a breed of 'cry baby women', where the main fault lies in their shortcomings and personal failings. He is right. Women have many shortcomings. Why? Because of this patriarchal society.

Let's take the example of a woman and man driver. It's is common to hear men, and even women, deride women drivers. Are women drivers worse than men drivers? Think about it. Who drives more? When a man goes out with a woman, he insists on driving, and the women, expecting gentlemanly behaviour, wants him to drive too.

Most of the time, it's understood, no words need to be said, the driver's seat is the man's exclusively. Who ends up with more practice over the years? There you go!

Like I've said before, women, be more independent, competent and learn everything. Don't compare yourself to the supposed standards of what women are capable off. The world is yours to take. And men, do not hinder a woman but let her evolve in this society.