"Is The 'Independent Woman' Changing The Essence of Relationships?"

The role of today's woman has far evolved from the mandatory homemaking role she was assigned by society. More than ever before, women are the primary breadwinners, single parents and hold supervisory positions in major corporations. These achievements have produced a new breed of woman...the independent woman who relies less on her male partner to survive. Often, the independence can be a double-edged sword. It can cause a woman to think as an individual even in relationships, which is contradictory to the essence of a relationship. On the other hand, many men prey on a woman's independence, usually making it a "requirement" to enable leeching and an easy exit when the relationship seems to be getting too serious. Has the quest for the "independent woman" from both viewpoints, affected the essence of relationships today?