Change is inevitable; nothing is immutable. While most things change for the better, some things have evidently gotten worse. One case is the role of women in society. Once seen as equals with men, today, there clearly exists great disparity between the two genders. For instance, the word mistress used to refer to women that were in power and with authority. Today, the word no longer carries a connotation of power, but rather carries a slightly derogatory meaning of women that hold sexual relationships with men. The change in the meaning clearly illustrates the evolution of the role of women in society, illustrating their decline in power from their once mighty nature.
             In the past, women held an active role in society, matching that of men. Early societies believed that women are just as important as men. In fact, the existence of women was deemed as necessary for harmony. Many beliefs and symbols created in the past celebrated the union of man and woman. In the Chinese society, it was deemed that a balance between Yin and Yang was necessary in order to live a harmonious and stable life. Yin was black, representing darkness and the feminine side. Yang, on the opposite, was white, representing power, and actions, full of masculine energy. Humans were believed to carry traces of both Yin and Yang within themselves. Both traits of men and women were respected in Chinese society, and thus set both male and female as equals. Even in Western society, the importance of females could be seen as well. The Star of David is another example of the balance of male and female, much like Yin and Yang. The Star of David is simply the union of two equilateral triangles--one which points upwards, and another that points downwards. The upward pointing triangle is the traditional symbol for male, also known as the blade, while the downward pointing triangle is the traditional symbol for female, also known as the chalice. Thus, Jewish beliefs also valu...