The notion of “female values” is a well-known one that for centuries has been used in literature with various meanings. Each culture has its own views on the attributes and characteristics of either gender, and the virtues and strengths that it represents. Historically speaking, women and men have been assigned different cognitive, emotional and personal features. Women have usually been perceived in opposition to men–as caring, empathic, intuitive and ready for sacrifices. Sometimes they have been regarded as morally superior to men, who act in the public sphere, which is associated with demoralisation. These views have been reinforced by such contrastive dichotomies as objective-subjective, rationalemotional, and public-private. Characteristics such as modesty, gentleness, humility, compassionateness, supportiveness, sensitivity and unselfishness have also been considered as typically female values. Women have been assessed negatively in disciplines typically practiced by men, such as science, development of statehood and law, and entrepreneurship. Throughout the centuries, male style dominated the public sphere and men were supported in the development of this part of their personality that is associated with independence, self-control, will, thinking, reason, logic, the capacity to form judgments and moral appraisal. Men’s achievements are translated into economic results also at the moment. Men are still characterised as tough, strong, resolute, self-confident, ambitious, direct and reserved. Female characteristics, traditionally associated with protectiveness resulting from motherhood, resourcefulness, and diligence connected with the domestic sphere, have been underestimated for ages.

Women are capable of making choices and setting priorities, and have attributes that may be regarded as typical of their own gender [Ziemińska 2008: 115]. It is obviously not to claim that some characteristics are assigned solely and exclusively to women, while others to men. First of all, particular individuals may have skills that are not specific to their gender. Second, identifying the characteristics of most women does not imply that all women will display them. Although the statistical average is composed of both extremities, a specific set of characteristics may be more representative for women than for men, and the other way around. Women and men may interchangeably use both codes–cognitive and moral ones–not assigned to their gender.