So glad you brought that up! My research on our Paleolithic ancestors indicates that in many cases, the gatherers actually provided more of the food because it's a more accessible source. Hunting is hit or miss, and in many forager tribes today, although there are gender roles, nobody pays all that much attention to them.

I think it's really important for people to realize that patriarchy is really only 6-9 thousand years old, and before that time, humans lived in much more cooperative and much less socially stratified societies. Plowed agriculture and the sudden prioritization of paternity relegated women to taking care of homes and children, where they could be monitored closely. For the first time in human history, a "provider" was important. This absolutely is patriarchal conditioning in the most literal sense and it should have no real bearing on the world we live in today.

Really great piece!