What is the reason behind, men saying שלא עשני אשה and women saying שעשני כרצונו in בּרכת השחר?
Does it mean that men are 'better' than women, as women don't say שלא עשני איש which would make sense? Not trying to sound sexist but is that not the logical conclusion?
Surely there are a number of 'feminist rights activists' who have come up with a politically correct interpretation why this practice isn't prejudiced against women.
The reason is that women are obligated in fewer mitzvos than men. So Jewish men thank Hashem for not making them women, because we should be happy to have more opportunities for serving Hashem, rather than seeing it as a burden.
This is not a newfangled feminist interpretation. This is the original reasoning for why we say this bracha. This explanation (specifically, that men say shelo asani isha because women are obligated in fewer mitzvos) appears in the tosefta, which dates from before the Gemara was compiled, and in the Yerushalmi. (J.T. Berakhot 9:1; Tosefta Berakhot 6:18).
The fact that men have to do more mitzvos does not mean men are better -- on the contrary, some have argued that men need more mitzvos because men have a stronger evil inclination. Similarly, some argue that women do not need certain mitzvos such as tefillin because they are inherently more spiritual than men. http://www.aish.com/jl/m/w/Women--Mitzvot.html
I would also note that even if women have quantitatively fewer mitzvos which they are obligated to perform, this does not mean at all that the total number of mitzvos and maasim tovim that they accomplish will be less than a man. She might have fewer mitzvos overall to do, but she could do them more often (which I think women often do, given the countless acts of gemilus chasadim involved in care work, chesed volunteerism, and the helping professions).
This does not imply men are better than woman, this implies that men are better off than women.
This is apparently the intent of the first explanation of Rashi in Menachos 43b when the gemara says a slave is the same as a woman, Rashi says 'for she too is a servant to her husband like a save to his master'. Rashi's other explenation is the one cited in classic works of halacha starting with the Tur inn siman 46, but I would like to focus on this one.
Throughout history women have been subjugated and abused. This unfortunately seems to be ingrained in human nature. Whether you believe in a literal reading of the story in Eden or an allegorical one, at the end of the day the Torah was compelled to point out this unfortunate reality.
We in the modern world have learned to respect and appreciate women, but any step backwards proves the unfortunate reality, as seen in all backwards societies where the woman are subjected and abused.
It is in light of this unfortunate state that we thank Hashem for not putting us in that position. But we should remember that we can overcome all the curses of Eden. We can easy without sweating, we can raise children happily, and we can have equal partnerships with our spouses.
