By Shruthika Pochampally
Staff Writer

For as long as anyone can remember, men have been playing the leading role in the beginnings of a romantic relationship. The male always makes the first move, asks the girl on the first date, and, most importantly, pays for it too.

Somewhere along the way, society determined it is up to men to buy expensive gifts, and empty their wallets to make a woman happy. Some men are even offended when women insist on paying for themselves and wonder why someone would refuse their gentlemanlike actions.

In reality, every time a man pays for a woman, it is yet again an indication the man is more powerful and wealthy, and therefore more able to pay for a meal.

This concept applies even in the high school setting. Though both people in a relationship may not always have a steady source of money, this should not stop girls from wanting to be responsible for their own meals. A woman should ever be on a date she could not afford herself.

Women paying for their own meals is more than just another feminist idea. It is a self-worth idea. A woman does not need to be paid for, like a child. If a female is able to provide for herself, then she should offer to pay for herself, simply as a reminder that she is capable of doing so.

In cases where a man is solely paying for dates to establish male dominance, most of today’s women are not flattered by such actions. If a man chooses to pay for dinner, it should not be accepted as dating protocol.

It is not that girls should calculate money spent at every date, being sure to split the cost evenly to the last cent, but girls should be aware of what it really means to let a male pay for them. They should understand that this may be where the roots of female dependency begin and continue into relationships later in their lives.

A man paying for a woman should be taken as a warning sign rather than an act of politeness. Chivalry is a concept of the past. The 21st century is about gender equality and eradicating the notion that females not only want but require the help of a male.

Women have learned to take a stand and continue to empower themselves. Organizations have been built to bring equal pay to women, allow them to wear what they choose and to have a say in a world that has been favored by males for centuries. A small gesture such as allowing a man to pay for your dinner can go a long way in terms of proving that you are just as capable as your significant other.