Years ago there were two tracts available at corporations for women, the permanent tract and the Mommy tract. If you joined a company right out of college and were a woman, they feared investing a lot of time and money in a temporary hire who would leave to have children and not return. And they weren't allowed to ask either. The Mommy tract women had a glass ceiling and were unable to cross it until they were done having children. Thus, higher level positions were unavailable to them.

Women were paid mostly equivalently, but opportunities for promotion were given to men more often. They just were.

When I told my bosses I was pregnant and would be taking time off for a year or so before returning once I had the baby, honestly giving them a head's up to make arrangements, I was immediately fired. This was illegal. I sued through the EEOC (equal employment opportunity commission) and received a settlement. But my two years there was basically useless because I wouldn't get a positive referral when I was ready to work again. I was Mommy tracted. It took many more women entering the workforce before these attitudes changed for the better, but there are still some dinosaurs out there with sexist hiring.

My scenario so irritated me that I vowed to never work for someone else again. I preferred to be my own boss, and started my own business. That way, I had the best boss ever, ME! Of course, I soon realized that the boss works the hardest running things, but it was worth it. And I could work from home when having little ones so I could be with them.

I was the first home to get business class internet and fax and phone lines in my city 25 years ago. The new fangled cable company had never installed business class at a home. I had to help them "create" a hybrid service package for women like me working from home. I mean, I took it up to the President of the corporation and demanded they provide business class services and threatened to go to the media if they refused. He gave in. Now everybody is doing it!

So I'd say, there are technicalities when comparing men and women that used to lean toward men, but now, not so much. The volume of women in the workplace has increased exponentially, and most keep working because they have no choice financially. That saddens me, because laying out of work for my children's formative years was a real blessing and joy that many women are missing out on, and especially their kids.

You can't compare men and women. They are apples and oranges with different strengths and situations.

I just hired three new guys this week. I only interviewed men. Why? Because only they have the strength to do the work I require. Women don't. Was I being sexist? No. I know what the jobs required, and skinny little men and all women can't handle it. The equipment is too heavy. For other jobs, I gladly hire women or skinny men.

So I've seen both sides of it.