Many, many years ago it was the belief of most cultures that the man is the bread winner of the family. In fact, most women dreamed of becoming a stay at home wife and mother, which was their only ambition in life. Not to say anything is wrong with that, there isn't! But I must say that this part of our culture has died in many ways. Being a stay at home wife is not enough anymore. This has changed the family values in our world today.
Women are no longer staying at home to raise their children. While in some cases, the man as the sole provider is not enough; in other situations, the women want a career outside the home. To be fair to the men, I must say that some would prefer their wives to stay at home and raise the children, but with the economy and the lifestyles that they want to live, the man's income in not sufficient, therefore both man and woman have to be in the work place. In today's world, it seems, if the man does not have a college degree or own the business it is a surprise if he is able to pay the monthly bills on time. Times are tough and both parents have to work these days to support their families.
Times have changed. I say this because I am accustomed to hearing that women were taking their ex's to court to get child and spousal support. Today, more men are taking their ex wives to court to get palimony and child support from them and I speak from experience. This too changes our family values. I pay child support and I do think it is fair. If a man should have to pay child support and alimony, then a woman should have to pay it too. The world has surely changed, but we must recognise that this drastically changes the traditional family values.
From a survey taken, most women and men are shocked that a man would actually take a woman to court and ask for money, while others say if a woman wants to be equal, then they should suck it up and pay. What makes it any different whether it's the woman paying or the man? Technically, nothing. We, as women, want equal opportunity, so if we are more successful financially than the man, then we should pay.
From my experience, I find that women and men go through the same avenues to get what they want. Meaning, so many times I have heard that women are gold diggers, and some, I think, truly are; but there are men that do the same. They will lie and cheat to get what they want, but it is much easier for society to believe that a woman is a gold digger than it is for them to believe a man is one. Sad but true
In the past, the main belief in our society was that men were the bread winners of the family, but today that is a fallacy. Not a deal breaker for some women in a relationship anymore because women are capable of earning just as much as many men with the same qualifications in many situations. On the other hand, women might have to work harder in the same position and still earn less than a man. Will women and men ever be equal? Yes and no; it depends on what situation you analyze.