In older times, the diamond engagement ring (traditionally suppose to cost several months of salary) was seen as a contract between husband and wife.

He would provide for her, giving her a good, well provided for life; so long as she provided for him. Giving him a kept home, a hot dinner and supervised children.

Women have managed to shed the shackles of their end of that old social contract, yet some still feel entitled to 'their diamond ring'; in spite of offering nothing in return of equal value. On top of the moral issues of buying diamonds and the economic issues (diamonds are a worthless rock whose only value is to rub wealth and social-status in the face of others), their are also gender equality issues.

A man cannot enforce his end of that old social contract anymore, yet society still grants women the permission to coerce a diamond engagement ring out of her man. Any man who does not comply with this social-norm can expect to be shamed by the fiancée, her friends and family; as he has failed to 'provide'. Man, yet again, is relegated to an asset to be milked for wealth.

Although this is not a major issue like child custody and the assumptions courts make about men, it's still a cause of asymmetry of rights between men and women. One that should be addressed to achieve true equality.

After considering the above, my question to r/MR is this: should we aim to move society toward expecting women to provide an engagement ring of approximately equal value? Or move away from this practice altogether? What's the cure to this faulty sense of entitlement some women have?