Wow, I'm going to get my say in before this thread is locked.
How about we consider that Eorzea is not the real world, and has many many factors that would make it so our typical real world culture and gender roles do not apply to all things?
Roegadyn women. So big and strong that about the only males who might be just as strong, or stronger, are Highlander men and Roegadyn men. Female Roegadyn would probably make excellent hard-labor workers and soldiers.
Lalafell men and women are built almost identical. Size and shape is pretty much the same. It's often hard to tell the difference unless you see facial hair, makeup or gender-based hairstyles.
Miqo'te may be portrayed in a highly sexualized manner, but also consider that the lore absolutely confirms that males are born far less often than females. In such a society, males are too few to be the primary hunters, fighters and workers. Females would have to do most of that, and they would have to be good at it or they would die out.
You might try to apply typical real world culture and gender roles to Elezen and Hyur then, but there are many female Hyur and Elezen in the Grand Companies and Law-enforcement forces. You see them everywhere.
Then there is aether. It can be used by a tiny Lalafell to cast big fireballs to destroy magitek robots.
"Size matters not." -Yoda.
What is my point in all this? Gender roles and modern culture exist for a reason. But, the factors that make our real world culture what it usually is do not fully apply to this fantasy world. Sure there are sexualized portrayals of genders in Eorzea (just look at the female workers in the Golden Saucer...), but there are also legendary heroes like the female Dragoon named Rainette.
What is and isn't an accurate depiction of a woman or a man in this game can not be accurately judged based on our real world culture and ideals.
How about we consider that Eorzea is not the real world, and has many many factors that would make it so our typical real world culture and gender roles do not apply to all things?
Roegadyn women. So big and strong that about the only males who might be just as strong, or stronger, are Highlander men and Roegadyn men. Female Roegadyn would probably make excellent hard-labor workers and soldiers.
Lalafell men and women are built almost identical. Size and shape is pretty much the same. It's often hard to tell the difference unless you see facial hair, makeup or gender-based hairstyles.
Miqo'te may be portrayed in a highly sexualized manner, but also consider that the lore absolutely confirms that males are born far less often than females. In such a society, males are too few to be the primary hunters, fighters and workers. Females would have to do most of that, and they would have to be good at it or they would die out.
You might try to apply typical real world culture and gender roles to Elezen and Hyur then, but there are many female Hyur and Elezen in the Grand Companies and Law-enforcement forces. You see them everywhere.
Then there is aether. It can be used by a tiny Lalafell to cast big fireballs to destroy magitek robots.
"Size matters not." -Yoda.
What is my point in all this? Gender roles and modern culture exist for a reason. But, the factors that make our real world culture what it usually is do not fully apply to this fantasy world. Sure there are sexualized portrayals of genders in Eorzea (just look at the female workers in the Golden Saucer...), but there are also legendary heroes like the female Dragoon named Rainette.
What is and isn't an accurate depiction of a woman or a man in this game can not be accurately judged based on our real world culture and ideals.
