“I’m not for strong, independent women because, in the end, a woman will end up alone, and no one will marry her.” With these words, Emirati influencer Hassan Al-Saud settled the debate on women’s economic independence in a video he posted on social media. According to him, a man can only feel his masculinity when he is the financial provider for a woman.
Al-Saud was not the only one to express his rejection of women’s financial independence in such a crude manner. His statement is part of a growing online campaign aimed at reinforcing the idea that a woman’s independence diminishes her value as a female and erases the traditional role of men as providers.
This recurring discourse does not emerge in a vacuum. It reflects a globally rising trend that resonates in the region as well—an attempt to roll back the limited gains women have achieved and to reshape societal perceptions of gender roles. The underlying message directed at women seems to be: “Beware—your independence will make you undesirable.”
What is the “Manosphere”?
This phenomenon is globally recognized as the “Manosphere”—a term referring to a network of online male communities that oppose women’s empowerment and promote anti-feminist and misogynistic beliefs. The Manosphere blames feminist movements for a range of societal problems, seeking to defend traditional gender norms while undermining calls for equality. Many voices within this sphere go beyond critiquing feminism and venture into outright hostility toward women and girls.
But wait—could it really be that simple? Does femininity equate to dependency, and masculinity to financial provision? Have women, who have struggled throughout history—from unpaid labor to fighting for workplace equality—suddenly lost their femininity simply because they have gained financial independence or seek to achieve it?
The Historical Roots of Women’s Economic Independence
Women have always been a fundamental part of the workforce, even before their economic contributions were formally recognized. In traditional societies, their labor was largely confined to unpaid domestic work, child-rearing, and community-based duties—seen as a “natural duty” rather than work that warranted compensation.
With the rise of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, women began entering the formal labor market, though under harsh conditions and for significantly lower wages. Their roles remained largely restricted to manual, low-skilled jobs such as textile production, sewing, and domestic labor. However, as the feminist movement gained momentum in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it played a crucial role in advocating for fair wages, better working conditions, and closing the gender pay gap. These struggles led to legal rights such as regulated work hours, improved workplace conditions, and equal pay.
Over time, women began to occupy higher-ranking positions, transforming economic independence from a distant dream into a tangible reality. This shift allowed women to break free from financial dependency on men and to live with greater autonomy.
And yet, after all these hard-fought battles—after decades of marginalization, unpaid labor, struggles for equal rights, education, and workplace inclusion—some still claim that women’s independence makes them “lose their femininity,” as if femininity is solely defined by economic dependence on men.
This rhetoric not only presents a narrow view of women’s roles but also reveals a deep-seated societal fear of change—of a transformation that threatens outdated gender norms.
When Egyptian writer Nawal El Saadawi said, “A wife’s intelligence wounds a husband’s masculinity, so a woman must hide her intelligence to maintain her marriage. That’s why all wives are expected to act dumb—because stupidity is synonymous with marital success,” she wasn’t speaking about a bygone era. Unfortunately, she was describing a reality that still holds true today.
The idea remains unchanged—only the narrative has evolved. In the past, women were expected to feign ignorance to protect a man’s ego. Today, they are told to relinquish their independence to preserve their femininity.
Trapping Women in the Image of the “Damsel in Distress”
But what does femininity truly mean? Is it solely about weakness, dependency, and reliance on others? And if that’s the case, does masculinity mean the complete opposite? Is it defined only by financial power?
Femininity and masculinity are not rigid molds set in stone centuries ago; they are fluid concepts that evolve alongside societies. Femininity is not submission, just as masculinity is not dominance. So instead of forcing women into the narrative of being “helpless and in need of saving,” why not redefine gender relations based on equality?
It’s almost comical that some men—whose only perceived value lies in their financial role—are now trying to convince women that independence is “against their nature,” as if they are the ones who define this nature. As if they have the right to grant or revoke a woman’s identity as “feminine.” This belief is nothing more than a reflection of fragile masculinity, one that can only assert itself by enforcing dependency on women. A man who feels threatened simply because a woman no longer needs him financially is a man unworthy of being part of her life in the first place.
Repackaging Misogyny for a New Generation
The problem isn’t just the existence of these outdated ideas—it’s how they are being presented, in a shallow and digestible format, on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where Gen Z and Gen Alpha spend most of their time. These younger generations, still in the process of forming their views on relationships and gender roles, are exposed to these messages without the tools for critical thinking. As a result, what starts as an opinion gets reshared and repackaged until it is perceived as fact.
When young people consume this kind of content daily, they begin shaping their future perspectives on relationships based on a distorted narrative—one that ties a woman’s worth to her dependency on a man and a man’s worth to his financial control over her.
Independence Is Not a Crime
Every young woman—especially those who have come across these videos—must recognize how this narrative is designed to reduce a woman’s role to a single, male-defined frame, as if femininity only exists within weakness and submission. But the truth is different. Femininity is not weakness, and independence is not a crime. You have every right to reject any man who tries to mask his insecurities by imposing his standards on you. You have every right to decide who you are and how you choose to live your life.
At the end of the day, if their “masculinity” crumbles in the presence of an independent woman, then the problem is not with women—it’s with a version of masculinity that desperately needs redefining.
