There was a time when the question of who should pay on a date wasn’t associated with gender politics or controversy.
The answer was obvious: it was the man’s duty. Today is the day of the independent woman and we have created a shift so sharp that a bunch of Madames reading this have either paid on a date or split the cost. You felt it was an expression of your independence and simply a non-issue, right?
But there are still women out there who want to be independent, yet cling to old-school values and always expect the man to pay. And then they wonder why they’re being called a hypocrite. So, how can a woman demand to be viewed and treated as independent yet insist on financial dependence?
A woman asserting her independence, yet desiring to be taken care of aren’t mutually exclusive concepts. A man paying on a date is the ‘chivalrous’ thing to do and women should be suspicious when a man would rather not.
Personally, I think it would be foolish to make it all about finance. Is a man’s capacity or willingness to pay on a date the best litmus test for his character? Some would say yes.
Ladies of Madame Noire, what’s your take on this issue? Do you judge a man if he doesn’t pay on a date? Do you think a man who prefers to go halves is half the man? Or is it simply a non-issue? The floor is yours.
Christiana Mbakwe is a graduate of University College London and a freelance writer and blogger based in London, England. Her blog ‘Christiana Rants’ explores the issues young women grapple yet are often reluctant to publicly discuss. Follow her on twitter at @Christiana1987
