Being Ukrainian, I grew up in a society where femininity was - and still is - praised. I am not talking about women wearing dresses and heels. In my viewpoint, there is much more to being feminine.

I consider Ukrainian women to be feminine because they are generally not attracted to jobs like firefighting or police service. More importantly, I consider them feminine because they encourage men to be gentlemen. A Ukrainian woman expects a man to open the door for her, pass her the coat, and give her a hand with a heavy suitcase. It does not make her feel patronized. Nor does it take away her right to pursue a doctorate in philosophy, be a CEO or lead the country as prime minister.

An American woman, on the other hand, might sue you for this, depending on the circumstances.

Despite general “ladylike” behaviors, I believe that Ukrainian society is in many ways woman-dominated. Even the Kyiv Independence Square has a statue of woman – it is a symbol of the Ukrainian nation. I believe that Tymoshenko’s braid is loaded with the same message. Adult women in Ukraine always managed to maintain their femininity while getting a higher education, progressing in their career and rising to an influential position in the nation.

While I applaud the feminist movement’s accomplishments in the United States today – gender discrimination is illegal – I have mixed feelings about some of the aspects of feministic behaviors. American women seem to feel threatened by the smallest deference to gender. They strive to look independent, not in need of open doors or of help with the coat. They prefer to pay for themselves when they are out and do their best to not look overly feminine when they want to be taken seriously. Some women prefer to be called “Ms.” instead of “Miss” or “Mrs” because they considering revealing marital status to be discriminatory. While all of these deserve respect, my biggest concern is that the fear of looking womanly may have its effects on family values. There are too many stories in the news about forgotten babies – in the car, in the store or elsewhere. Also, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, the divorce rate in the United States topped 50 percent in 2005.

So, ladies, my advice is: keep your femininity. It gives you a competitive advantage. There must be a serious reason why many American men are looking for wives in Ukraine. Also, it is unfortunate that there is no “Woman’s Day” in the U.S. What's wrong with being a CEO and getting flowers and compliments all day? This is what I would call smart.

Leno Redko, a Kyiv native, lives in San Francisco and is studying for a master’s in business administration at the University of San Francisco.