I don’t teach my sons to only not hit women, but to not hit or harm men, animals, or the personal property of others, I even teach them to avoid harming insects….
…unless that man, woman, animal, or insect becomes a threat to them, or to those you are responsible for, then I instruct them to exert the needed amount of force to end/subdue/balance the violent or harmful situation.
Removing a person’s right of self defense is dehumanizing, as dehumanizing as viewing them as incapable of doing harm.
Respect women, fully…that means respecting their capacity to do damage if they choose to.
(Note: I acknowledge the obscene level of violence men commit against women, and the compounding oppression Black women endure under this Racist, patriarchal system. Male on female violence dwarfs most other forms of violence, but that doesn’t forfeit a males right of self defense in those, however few, instances he is threatened or unjustly attacked by a woman.)
Also, I think the response to any attack should be appropriate and attenuated by the potential harm the attacker presents.