women and children/women and children first

pairing women with children is illogical, belittling to women, and a paternalistic attempt to perpetuate the subordination and powerlessness of women. The Napoleonic Code (1804) did much to legitimize the second-class status of European women. Among other things, the code grouped women and children with "persons of unsound mind," judging them all equally incapable of entering into contracts. When you see women and children grouped together, delete or replace the phrase (in the case of "women and children first" it should be "those who need extra assistance first"). This expression probably arose not so much from some medieval idea of chivalry as from a more ancient fact of life: an early society's main chance for survival rested on its being able to reproduce itself. Men can father children every day but women need nine months to produce a child and a child represents a considerable investment in the future. Thus in times of crisis, women and children were protected so as to ensure the future of the society. Today the future of our society depends on both sexes. See also innocent victim.