Well, Helen, I certainly agree with you about how women have been, and still are, always gypped vis-a-vis men by society, but I don't think you can blame that on feminine suffixes in the language. The root of that evil is, as in so many cases, filthy lucre or the desire thereof.

Actually, some women would, I think, have more reason to complain than English-speakers. Take the German damsels who are relegated to being neuter gender, mere things, because the noun which describes them has a diminutive suffix. (See earlier post in this thread.) But then, German has a little leg up for the ladies. A married woman whose husband is one of a number of professionals takes her husband's title. The wife of Dr. Schmidt is known, and addressed, as Frau Doktor Schmidt; Prof. Schwartz' wife is Frau Professor Schwartz; the wife of engineer Krautkopf is Frau Engenieur Krautkopf, etc. However, the wife of Assistant Gas Main Inspector Katzenellenbogen is known as Frau Katzenellenbogen, not Frau Untergashauptleitungsinspektor Kaztenellenbogen, not because she couldn't fit it on her calling card, but because it's not a prestigious title. Thus, a German woman gains prestige from her husband's position if it's exalted enough, and back in the days when such things counted, went down to dinner before other non-titled ladies.

In an ideal world, we could have gender-specific words and descriptive titles, and they would be just that, and no more, with no effects on social status, rates of pay and such other non-linguistic matters.