Barbara Walter's did a story on gender roles in Kabul several yearsbefore the Afghan conflict. She noted that women customarily walked about 10 paces behind their husbands.
She returned to Kabul recently and observed that the men now walked several paces behind their wives.
Ms. Walter's approached one of the Afghani women and said, "This is marvelous. Can you tell the free world just what enabled women to achieve this reversal of roles?"

"Land mines" said the woman.

In North Africa after WWII the same thing occured. The ladies walked before the fellas and the animals. It's cheaper to replace the wife then the donkey.
My mother taught me to let the lady go ahead of me thru the door. Of course I do just that, but my thought is, if there's anything on the other side of the door, I'll have time to get a running start or get out my handgun.
Jim

Years ago,I discovered it was more interesting to walk behind a woman.

WC

Yep. Like I've told my girlfriend "I'll follow you anywhere!!" (She does have the World's Greatest Derriere, btw. And I'm not referring to myself, lol.)

Or, as I say to tall women "Finally, a woman I can look up to!"