The Yerushalmi Pesachim 1:4, as understood by most Rishonim and brought in Halacha, says that women are lazy (and therefore would have been less trustworthy to properly perform the check for Chometz).
Was that something that was true at the time, or is that a blanket statement about the nature of women?
Are there any explanations that understand this to be universally true but somehow have a deeper or more metaphysical meaning (despite its application in halacha)?
The Aruch Hashulchan in siman 437 siff 7 writes that nowadays women are bodek even better than men and dig after a miniscule amount of chametz and wash and clean every place.
Another point is to define what chazzal meant by women are atzlanios by citing one of the medrashim that uses the same terminology. See in Devarim Rabba Parsha 6 (#11) that prooves women are atzlanios from Sarah whom Avraham told her to hurry and bring bread of fine flour. The Matnas Kehuna explains that the proof was that he had to say 'hurry'.
The ר״ן in פסחים on 30b says that we only say that women are lazy if there is no definite איסור, but if there is definitely an איסור (for instance, the removal of גיד הנשה) they are believed.
