Gosh, I'm going the other way as I age. I don't give as many F***c as I used to but one thing I'm determined to do is help young women. I'm not really trying to change men's minds about how they operate, but I am passionate about helping women identify their boundaries and put themselves first once in a while.

If, for example, I was able to do this with your niece, she wouldn't hate men - she'd just recognise and dispense with the worthless ones when they crossed her path.

Patriarchy might be a belief, but it's a belief that drives the ones in power and that's real enough to produce all the statistics you have in your great piece.

One thing I disagree with is that things could change instantly if laws were passed. While certain laws would give women immediate access to abortions or higher pay, it takes time to change the culture. Beliefs in patriarchy would be steered by legislation (as they were initially with race and sex discrimination law) but cultural change is slow.