I just want a word that makes it clear men don't think women are subsections of them. Female is just male with an "fe" at the front. Women is just men with a "wo" at the front.
I think guys and ladies is the best compromise, IMO, for a lot of English speakers. Dude is good too, chick is fine for more social settings.
If someone gets mad at you for calling a man a guy or a woman a lady, you're probably dealing with a crazy person.