I do not understand the quibbling over the place of women in the Church and the world. According the Scriptures and the Fathers, man has the preeminence. He was created first, he named the animals, he conversed with God (and we have no record that Eve had the same privileges). Authority is a male attribute. The place of the male is to guide, protect and provide for the woman.
The woman is his help-mate; she submits voluntarily to the male for her salvation's sake. She is not not inferior.She has the same human nature as the male. She was also impressed with the image of God. The divine scheme nowhere implies that women are slaves, chattel, or puppets of men. They do not exist to gratify his lust --- although that is the way some women act. Men and women were created compliments, not competitors --- as seems to be the way of things today.
Women cannot be priests --- nor should in any other way be in authority over men --- but that implies function, not inferiority. There is some truth, however, in the words of Plato, "A woman can do anything a man can do, although a man does it better." [/i]I agree that the modern male --- emasculated, brain-washed, whimpy --- cannot validate Plato's boast. Women have proven themselves very capable of taking over.
The Orthodox Church has been, as the rest of society, invaded by secularism. It has brought its non-religious, irreligious ideas with it. We have become the victims of "cultural Marxism." It has brought the social chaos we are experiencing --- including role-reversal. The idea of "equality" (defined as "sameness") has perforated the Orthodox social ethic, along with mediocrity, conformity, anger. Hollywood is the greatest purveyor of this heresy. Have you seen a movie lately?
If you want to know what the Orthodox Church believes about men and women --- and the priesthood ---read the Scriptures and the patristic commentaries on the Scriptures. Remember, too, that the gospel message is not culturally relative. What is true is true yesterday, today, and forever.