Woman and children first off a sinking ship. Gender equality...?

[Darwinianevolution]

ganoncrotch said:

Darwinianevolution said:
The "women and children first" rule is not because women have privilege over men. That rule is there to guarantee all kids are safe and with at least one of their parents. If a kid only has a father, that man can go with his child.

At least, that is how I interpret this :P

What if a father is on a cruise with 2 of his kids? Can he nominate a male friend to mind his other child or must they be cared for by a woman?

I don't know. This rule is very old, probably from before the XIX century, when civilian travels started to become common. The mother had a bigger rol in the education of the children than it does nowadays (when both the mother and the father educate the children equally, because both are expected to work outside the house), so it made sense to choose the mother over the father.