On Tuesday morning, the hashtag #issuetheinvoice started trending on Twitter, with many women taking to the social media platform outraged at their exes or current partners who have not paid them back. From dinners to legal costs, these women want their money back.
I once paid my ex's son's school transport #issuetheinvoice pic.twitter.com/kKCRx9R07Y
— MantsoePout-Nomzamo (@MantsoePout) July 25, 2016
Others foot legal fees (Lawyers and stuff) only to be dumped when bae gets out of jail #issuetheinvoice
— *New Earth* 🇿🇦 ♥️ (@JonaT_211) July 26, 2016
Of course, if a man takes advantage of a woman's financial situation, without ever reciprocating, then the woman in question has the right to challenge him.
But the idea that the man should always pay, and if a woman pays, she should promptly demand her money back helps perpetuate a sexist culture; men are the breadwinners, women are dependent.
In 2016, we have come a long way from that outdated dynamic. Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) between 2006 and 2013 reveals that young women between the ages of 22 and 29 typically earn £1,111 ($1458) per annum more than their male counterparts. So do women really need to be paid back for treating a man?
Some women's tweets seem to suggest that they showered their other half with expensive gifts as a way to keep the relationship going, and when that didn't work out, they felt deserving of financial compensation. "Bought him a car and he still left me," writes @OddeOMontle, followed by the hashtag #issuetheinvoice.
Bought him a car and he still left, that time It was under his name so he took the car with, still paying for it 😩😩 #IssueTheInvoice 😂😂😂
— Supa Cindy - MILF (@OddeOmontle) July 26, 2016
#issuetheinvoice borrowed a loan for him to start a small business & a month after I gave him the money he left with my money #stillpaying
— Sive (@honey_ssweet) 26 July 2016
In order for men and women to be truly equal, the same rules should apply to both sexes; if a woman pays for a man, she shouldn't then request the money back, unless she expects him to do the same whenever he pays for her. And neither partner should allow money to be used as a manipulative tool to exert control over the other.
Why is it okay for a man to take care of women but when a women takes care of a man it becomes #issuetheinvoice,
— FYIonline (@FYI_on) July 26, 2016
double standards #issuetheinvoice, women want to be emancipated, one of a mans duty is to take care if his partner, We don't see the problem
— FYIonline (@FYI_on) July 26, 2016
It all seems rather transactional to talk about invoices and repayment, leaving romance little chance to blossom. Corporate terminology, commonly used in an office setting begs the question posed by one Twitter user, Corbin Butler: "Are you in a relationship or a business agreement?"
Are you in a relationship or business agreement ? #issuetheinvoice
— 𝓡𝓪𝓲𝓽𝓱𝓵𝔀𝓪𝓷𝓪 (@corbin_butler) July 26, 2016
"If you're helping someone and expecting something in return you're doing business, not kindness"#issuetheinvoice
— Piano Man (@KMalatji) July 26, 2016
Men and women are still not equal. The U.K. government remains male-dominated, despite the arrival of Britain's second female prime minister in Theresa May. Only 29 percent of MPs in the House of Commons are women. Less than 10 percent of executive directors at FTSE 100 companies are women, and women still earn less than men in 90 percent of sectors. Women in their 20s earn more than men on average, but when workers hit their 30s, men earn significantly more.
"There's lots to weigh up when deciding who pays for what in a relationship, and every woman should feel empowered to navigate for herself what feels right and fair," said Jemima Olchawski, head of policy and insight at the Fawcett Society. "One thing that isn't down to personal choice is the unfairness inherent in the fact that women still earn on average 19 percent less than men and pay more for a whole range of products, from jeans to razors. That's a fundamental injustice that must be addressed for women to have economic equality."
The hashtag #issuetheinvoice does little to empower women in the 21st century and certainly doesn't benefit the feminist cause. By all means, split the bill, don't tolerate financial over-reliance from your partner, and reciprocate when it comes to buying gifts. But don't demand your money back because "the man should always pay."
Uncommon Knowledge
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