Unfortunately the men around them often were pigs. To be fair, they had some pretty awful parenting advice given to THEIR parents, but at some point personal responsibility has to take over.

I can't respect the men in the generation above me though usually, although I did meet the father of a close friend recently who made me think twice. I think he's the first man around my father's age (55-65ish) who I've ever seen be really interested in what others have to say. I know I have a bit of a messed up background (alcoholic father who was himself messed up by his abusive parents and thankfully broke the cycle of the physical abuse by never hitting us) but I see the same sorts of men everywhere I look. DH's father is one of the most chauvinistic unpleasant people I've ever met, when I gained weight after having our first daughter he tried to convince my hubby to get on a dating site to meet someone slim, and told dh that I was just out to screw him over (because I stand up for myself and don't "do as I'm told").