Why do then men propose and women don't? Whether arranged or done by choice, marriage has been around since the beginning of time. Coming with marriage, the proposal has always been done by the man in the relationship, except for a few rare circumstances. The man asking, especially in first world countries, has always been a societal norm. Men should be the one in the relationship to propose, because it is a sign of masculinity and love that should be displayed to his future spouse. .
Men proposing to woman should be mandatory, not to show dominance, but to create the image of masculinity and affection to his soon-to-be wife. Men asking women, for their hand in marriage, started around the time of the marriage license in. In the middle ages, marriage licenses began, which sparked the societal norm. There was no real reason why the men proposed, but it was seen as a sign of manliness. Marriage proposals are an event where one person in a relationship asks for the other's hand in matrimony. This is done by the man in most countries, but on the islands off the western coast of Africa, it is done differently. In the article, "Where Men Propose and Men Can't Say No, " Amy Clark tells about the tradition on the islands where the women propose. They offer the grooms distinctively prepared fish as a proposal to the man for marriage. This is done on all fifty islands located off the western rim of Africa. In most cases, the men do not have any feelings for the woman until they try the food that was prepared for them (Clark). In one case, the married man stated, "I had no feelings for her. Then when I ate this meal, it was like lightning. I wanted only her. "(Clark). Later on in the article, it is said that men are powerless to say no. Refusing the proposal is seen as a dishonor to the family. In a new case of women asking men, certain countries ask on Leap day. In the article "Leap Year Proposal:What's The Story Behind It, " it explains how in Scotland and Ireland, the women propose marriage to the men but only on Leap Day.
