It's a man's world?

I've just watched a little bit of a conversation between Dawn French and Victoria Wood about what it's like being a woman in comedy. I turned it on just when Dawn asked Victoria what it was that put women off going into comedy. Why weren't there more female comics rising up? 


And the answer was that they didn't know.... could it be because it felt like it was really a world for men? Could it be that women weren't expected to do it? Could it be that prejudices against women haven't actually changed that much? 


Dawn then asked Victoria when she would stop. Victoria said that she always thought she would stop when she got old. There are too many prejudices against older women - as they get older they lose their attractiveness so people don't want to hear what they might have to say. For men that's not an issue. 


I then started to watch the Three Musketeers. We may not wear the same clothes as the era in which it was set now, but are women still seen in the same way? The powerful women are secretive and manipulative, but still need a man as their face. The rest of them are more bothered about the way they look to men to do anything else.....


The conversation between Dawn and Victoria reminded me of conversations I have heard about women in ministry. Why aren't there more women going into ministry? Is God calling them elsewhere, or is God actually calling them to ministry, but in the world we are living in with all its ideals and prejudices is that not seen as a real possibility for anyone but those who are most determined?