Ayatollah Khamenei

Islam considers man strong and woman delicate and elegant. This is neither an insult to women nor an insult to men; this is ignoring neither man’s nor woman’s rights; it is actually a proper view on their nature. They are in fact equal on the pan balance, that is, when you put the delicate and elegant gender which is a source of peace and beauty at home on one pan balance, and the managing, working gender which is a source of trust, reliance and support for the woman on the other pan balance, the two pans weigh equal. Neither of them is preferred to the other one.
Ayatollah Khamenei, 12/3/2000