I'm sure many people, when I bring up male discrimination, think I am just trying to be difficult, nitpicking the tiniest problems. But to me, it's not subtle. Guys, how often have you seen, whether in life or on TV, a guy comforting a girl when she cries, but does the polar opposite when a guy does it?
The whole concept of "be a gentleman" is something I have a problem with. The point is, you can treat a woman equally, repsect all of their rights, yet be called "not a gentleman" because you were supposed to treat them better than you would treat a male, not just equally. Sometimes, I think our society is conditioned, and, if unintentionally, taught, to be nicer, more lenient to girls than to boys.
This bothered me a lot as a kid too (not that you're a kid, but it bothered me too, and I was a kid once ;)
Because to my innocent little life, I knew nothing of how women were treated by society (and continue to be treated in many parts of the world).
So short answer, it's society trying to make up for past sins... people began to realize women aren't some kind of lesser-human and should have just as many rights and as men.
It's even messier because discrimination still exists.
Wafflemaster: I disagree: the fact that stealing is against the law is not the reason I think stealing the bread is wrong.
"But surely causing pain has more moral implications than, say, theft from a wealthy person who will never notice."
Well, the one stubborn thing I can do is say that not taking the bread is not causing the pain, just like how not giving doesn't make you a murderer.
However, I must say, that was worded beautifully. I mean, it's not really that different from the points you were making previously, but somehow, the specific way that you phrased that makes me think about this thing a little differently.