Societal beliefs about gender roles have had a profound impact on the way men and women interact with one another in courtship situations. Historically, it was expected that women should take a more passive role in courtship and wait for men to make the first move. This meant that women often had to rely on men to initiate conversations, ask them out on dates, buy them gifts, and make other gestures of romantic interest. As a result, many women felt powerless in courtship situations and were often hesitant or even afraid to express their own desires or take charge of the relationship. In recent years, however, there has been an increasing trend towards egalitarianism in courtship and dating relationships. Women are now more empowered than ever before to take initiative when it comes to initiating conversations, asking for dates, expressing romantic interest, buying gifts for their partners – all without fear of being judged or viewed as too “forward” or “aggressive”.