I think the root of the drive for “progress” in most social movements has been the understanding that the most important goal in life is freedom to do what one pleases and the opportunity to pursue material success. I think idealistic feminists who champion the causes of female autonomy and their religiously kinded detractors do not understand each other and have different value systems. To a feminist, the absolute sum of one’s life is olam hazeh and how much one can materialistically, creatively, and intellectually accomplish. This is severely diminished by the established gender roles and society formula of most civilizations which have existed until recently. It is therefore an unforgivable crime against the female gender to inhibit them, pay them less, expect them to marry and reproduce, relegate them to certain fields of occupation and expect them to fulfill a traditional role in a family dynamic raising children and keeping house. The feminist is enraged at depriving women that which he/she believes to be the greatest achievement of their lives. Any progress towards the goal of this Integration into corporate/working society is lauded as a step closer to a messianic redemption from subjugation.
The religiously minded person looks at things very differently. For us, the world is merely a corridor to olam haba. Our activities in olam hazeh are worthwhile only insofar as they lead us to our purpose, as outlined in mesilas yeshorim perek 1. A job can and usually is part of that mission; not because of the independent importance of success, but because it is fulfilling a mitzvah that men have to provide for their families; it also offers a person the opportunity to fulfill the mitzvah of being honest in business, not wasting time while working on the boss’ cheshbon, paying workers on time, not charging interest, and a slew of other mitzvos that relate to work. It also occupies our minds and keeps us from sinning.
If that is the value of work, to a ben Torah it matters not what sort of job he has. It is helpful for self esteem to have a “bakavodik” job if one is affected by such things, but that is tangential.
In this value system, when a woman who had a massively successful career comes to shomayim, it will matter not how honorable her position was, how much she made, the sacrifices she made to get there, the extensive effort and years spent in school…all will not count towards her reward. “אין יתרון לאדם”, koheles says that one does not benefit from hard work in the end…all that matters is sof davar, hakol nishma, es haelokim yirah…fearing God and fulfilling his mitzvos, ki zeh kol haadam, for this is the entirety of man.
Then, what is the cause of celebration if a woman is now able to find employment more than 50 years ago? Does it matter at all in the olam ha’emes? Does it help her get more olam haba and serve Hashem? Or is it self service – the pursuit of success for one’s honor and the amassing of wealth, at the expense of sacrificing the joys in this world and the next of children and a family.