It's the ridiculously old yet still perpetuated expectation that men ask women on dates, pay for their meal, and then contact them after the date to prove they are still interested. Feminism has pushed us forward in so many ways, from gaining the vote to more women holding prestigious jobs and receiving a quality education. However, women still allow small daily acts to continue centuries of mistreatment and inequity.

Today most single men and women alike feel it is appropriate and expected for men to pay for women on dates. I've had friends gawk at men not paying for a friend's meal and I can only respond with disbelief. It seems as though many women are stuck in this world where they expect men to have the upper hand and it's a gray area as to whether or not they actually want it that way. Women still want to be pursued and tend to be too afraid to pursue men unprovoked. This lack of confidence generates many questions about how women are taught to behave, while also asking what the repercussions of this pattern are.

Many women resort to the fact that they think men won't want them if they seem too assertive. However, the opposite is true.

Men tend to be more attracted to women who have enough confidence to take initiative. Whether it be the portrayal of women in the media, the lack of leadership role models for women, or being raised as a second-class citizen, women have less confidence than men. This impacts women in the workplace and lessens their success because they don't believe in themselves. Women constantly question whether or not they are worthy of their positions in life, both in career and family situations. Women also deal with a tremendous amount of pressure regarding their looks and are afraid of not being deemed attractive. This insecurity displays itself when women don't take initiative in dating relationships.

A pattern in which men are expected to provide for women as if they are incapable of doing it themselves doesn't create a good situation in other areas of gender equality.

Men are less likely to respect women if they have to pay for them and make the first move. These traditions and norms paint women as submissive, incapable, and small. That doesn't make it likely for men to accept women in leadership roles, in the workplace, or asking for more say in government. Something so simple as a check definitely has an impact in all areas feminists fight for, and women are allowing this cycle to continue by not realizing the problem.

There are hundreds of other examples of tiny ways women become submissive to men. Things like opening doors or carrying luggage also contribute to this helpless demeanor. It seems as though society becomes so entrenched in its traditions that we fail to recognize all of the small things that need to change before we can see a truly big change.