Why Women Proposing is Still Rare
“Though women have more power to move the relationship closer to marriage, they still want the man to ask. That’s considered his job.”
.. “Having him ask for her hand in marriage is a way of signaling to her, and his friends and family, that he’s serious and ready for a future with her,” Professor Wilcox said. “The guy who proposes in the basketball arena is sending a massive signal to the world that he’s all in and completely committed.”
.. “Her fear might be if she asks and he says yes, he’s going along to get along,” Professor Wilcox added. “Getting that formal proposal from him is one way of addressing that concern.”
.. “Women traditionally want to be courted, and men still want to propose. Most men are not comfortable being asked.” She added: “Men can feel powerless or rushed. They think, ‘Why isn’t she waiting. I want to do it on my time.’ ”
.. From our research, many men said having a woman propose to them wouldn’t feel right,” she added. “It’s also about controlling the timing of these events.