First of all, I'm not going to take credit for this idea, it came from my wife during a conversation as we were reading comments to me here in this sub.

What's really changed is that we've taken the idea of independence and exaggerated it to the point where it's nothing more than a comical exaggeration of what real independence looks like.

When she and I were raised, we were both taught to laud the independence of women. It was in school, it was in media, it was everywhere. However, unlike the independence of today, both sexes were also taught that they needed each other to be whole. A man wasn't complete without a wife and children, and woman wasn't complete without a husband and children.

We were both raised with the value that men and women are equal, and like many we even had "obey" removed from our wedding vows, as even 30+ years that struck us as an ugly anorchism.

She's a professional, and I'm a tradesman. She certainly didn't "need no man" but she wanted one and I turned out to be that guy. I did well enough on my own that I didn't need a woman, but in like, I wanted one. We were both looking for the person to complement the other, and we found it.

That's what's changed. No one is looking for the complementary person to share their life anymore. You see men here (this sub) looking to turn back the clock so they can dominate women, because they believe the only way they'll get a woman is if society gives women no choice in the matter, and sadly many are so intrinsically selfish they'd snap up that deal in a heartbeat. You see women here looking to check off boxes, not looking for a human being, but rather a personal assistant who pays them instead of vice versa.

TLDR; You've created an adversarial system where neither side will ever be happy. Change my view if you can.