Un artículo publicado en inglés y español que te ayudará en tu lectura, pero principalmente sirve para expresar una opinión.

An article in English and Spanish which will help you in your reading, but mainly serves to express an opinion.

THAT WAS NO LADY,

THAT WAS MY EQUAL

The word ‘lady’ is not really the same as ‘woman’.

It is often used as a synonym for ‘woman’ and  it can be just as offensive as the word ‘broad’ or any of the other words that are used about the female of the species.

The basic word ‘woman’ should be neutral and acceptable to everyone but there´s something about the word ‘woman’ that can seem not quite polite in phrases such as ‘that woman’ or ‘a woman like that’.

The word ‘man’ certainly isn’t especially polite and isn´t meant to be, but does any man think it’s rude? I don’t think so.

There is still a great temptation to say ‘lady’ instead of ‘woman’, particularly for other women, because it seems more polite:

‘I think this lady is before me in the line.’ or ‘this belongs to that lady.’ are phrases that women very often use. Men don´t use the word ‘lady’ quite so often in this way; they usually prefer to cough, mumble something indistinct or rely on body language.

In the modern age, since the women’s liberation movement pointed out the inequality in these terms, the word ‘woman’ should prevail and ‘lady’ should be about as common as ‘damsel’ or ‘maiden’ in everyday speech. The fact is that ‘lady’ is still popular and current even in the strongest democracies.

The women’s libbers point out quite correctly that ‘lady’ isn´t even close to being equal, because it is not the equivalent of ‘man’. The male equivalent of ‘lady’ is ‘gentleman’ and who would suggest that men in general use that word?

'Lady' is anti – women because it lends itself to the idea that ladies shouldn’t do certain things (like carrying sacks of coal perhaps), but that idea extends silently to the next level, that ‘ladies’ shouldn’t be accountants, corporate chairmen or prime ministers. That they should have a certain place and - whisper it - should know their place.

And what a surprise, some male attributes like ambition, aggression and forcefulness are ‘unladylike’. So it can be suggested that by using the word ‘lady’ in a general way we (men and women) are not helping to maintain the progress that has been made in this area.

Unfortunately even the new liberated woman, while fighting sex prejudice, can still be subject to class prejudice. In Britain, or at least in England, middle class and upper class women have a habit of describing artisans such as gardeners and plumbers as ‘a little man’ as in, ‘I have a wonderful little man who does my garden’ or, ‘there’s a little man in the village who repairs my heels.’

I once had an interesting debate with an educated woman who believed in the equality of the sexes with all her heart and soul. But she had to end our talk and rush off because, she said, ‘I have a little man coming to check my central heating.’