Letter: Battle of the sexes

Sir: I would have more sympathy with David Aaronovitch ("Sex war", 16 May) if the influence of unreconstructed man was not so widely felt every day in so many ways, particularly in the media.

Three weeks of television dominated by World Cup football is about to be the most visible manifestation of this. Titillating images of women proliferate in the press (even in The Independent, though usually masquerading under some other guise). And as one who self-censors cinema and TV films if they contain explicit violence - whether against women or not - I find that my choice is severely restricted.

Women have been subjugated and abused for centuries. I will confess to a quiet kind of satisfaction to see men complain of their maltreatment now. Perhaps it will encourage the new men to help women more in the fight for respect, which seems most of the time to be against overwhelming odds.