All religions of the world agree on the basic principle that God loves everyone equally. Not only are men and women equal, but all living beings, including the lower species, are equal in the eyes of God. In Vedic culture, both men and women, in all the different levels of conscious development (caste system), are seen equally from the spiritual platform. As such there is no discrimination in the demeaning sense amongst the learned section of Hindus. Since Vedic culture means spiritual culture, all living beings are respected equally in India, even today. But that does not mean that everyone is seen equally in regard to their bodies and their respective duties in life.
It is exactly like the difference between a 1st grader in school and a second grader. They are not on the same level, but only a complete fool will consider the one to be inferior to the other. It is a small matter of time before they are equal as grown up and graduated adults. In this exact same way, all the different species of life are equal in the ultimate sense, but they are not at all equal in the relative sense. The system of defining those relative differences in the human species is called the vamasrama system, or commonly called, the caste system. According to the different castes, or bodies and minds, there are different types of propensities and duties one must perform. These differences are not by chance but are the results of one's own past good and bad deeds, or karma. In the beginning "God created all men equal." That is absolutely true, but according to ones pious or impious activities, everyone is not awarded an equal body in the next life. An souls are not on the same level in their activities. A common thief is not equal to a saint although the common thief may also become a saint one day. So, with this understanding, it would be sheer foolishness to claim that all bodies are equal as the communists preach. According to the Vedas, generally the female body and mind is not as far developed as the male body and mind. There are of course always exceptions, especially in this mixed-up age, but the general rule is, that women need a man for protection. In this age, and especially in the Western countries, it is very often the case that women are more pious and spiritually inclined than the men. Therefore it requires serious study to distinguish the difference between the two sexes for the practical implementation of Vedic culture.