If you let them win and get to you, it sets a standard for repeated behavior and the next woman will have to deal with it in the future. If we stand our ground , it's still not fair but now they see it's not gonna work so no point wasting the energy trying and it ends there.

I know some don't like to hear this, but I actually see this in the difference between raising boys and raising girls. With boys you have to be way more consistent when you lay out the rules of acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. One slip in letting them get away with something and you'll have them pushing all the boundaries for weeks. With girls a general consistency is fine and they'll still know that just because you relaxed that one time it doesn't mean the boundaries are gone.