the pain isn't like other pain. and there are consequences of taking pain relef - there just isn't a magic wand to wave to solve the problem!
taken in the round, a c-s is very definitely not an easy or pain-free experience (maybe female consultants get a better job done than most) and has a 6 week recovery period (particularly difficult for BF women - who get prescribed pain meds they can't take without making their baby too sleepy to feed as happened to my neighbour...)- and in other areas of practice nonsurgical methods are usually preferred where available - so why not in childbirth?
and it isn't an unreasonable view that choosing pain reduction strategies (home birth, massage, tens, water birth) that enable active birthing may make for a less painful experience taken in the whole - with less likelihood of resulting injury too.
hospital interventions often put women through more pain than necessary - something like 1 in 5 women has some form of induction, be it relatively painless, or ARM, just being in a hospital makes the experience more painful, monitoring, unfavourable positions etc - do we think men would put up with such a cavalier attitude to their well-being?
although i think historically the male attitude has been 'silly women, you need to be in a big safe hospital rather than at home with another silly woman. You need a man to deliver your child.' Regardless of the fact the very presence of that man increases the chances of interventions being used. Regardless of the difficulty involved in getting to that hospital in labour.
However, i think increasingly the divide is less male/female and more HCP/patient. The 'this is policy, so we're doing it' line seems to get trotted out at man and woman alike.