In the age of social media discourse, few questions stir controversy faster than asking what men owe society. The conversation is endless: protect, provide, lead, build, mentor, sacrifice. Whether from traditionalists, modern thinkers, or AI algorithms, the list is long and detailed.
But flip the question — what are women’s obligations to society? — and you’ll notice something strange:
The silence.
Or the deflection.
Or the discomfort.
It’s not that there’s no answer — it’s that many people don’t want to answer. And that silence says more than most are willing to admit.
A Cultural Blind Spot
We live in a time where we are constantly interrogating the role of men:
Are they protecting their communities?
Are they taking accountability?
Are they emotionally intelligent enough?
Are they dangerous when left unchecked?
There is no shortage of analysis — books, think pieces, viral videos, and debates on whether men are doing enough, being enough, or even allowed to be men at all.
But ask, “What are women’s obligations to society?” and suddenly the conversation becomes fragile. The same people who hold men to an ever-growing list of responsibilities often hesitate to assign even one to women.
Why?
Because we’ve made obligation a male burden, and made empowerment a female entitlement. And social media, more than anything else, has amplified that imbalance.
The Feminist Vacuum
What’s even more revealing is that many self-identified feminists have no coherent answer at all to the question of female obligation. In fact, a growing number seem to hold the view — implicitly or explicitly — that women have no particular responsibility to society.
Not to lead it, not to sacrifice for it, and increasingly, not even to repopulate it. Motherhood, once seen as a sacred civic contribution, is now portrayed by some as optional at best, oppressive at worst. And when you remove even that from the ledger, what remains?
Empowerment without expectation. Rights without reciprocation.
This isn’t equity — it’s exemption disguised as liberation.
The AI Mirror Test
Just to test this theory, I posed the same question to AI:
Q: What are men’s obligations to society?
A: Protection, provision, restraint, mentorship, accountability, leadership, moral courage, contributing to order…
Q: What are women’s obligations to society?
A: Nurturing, compassion, preserving dignity, building relationships, mentorship, emotional intelligence…
The answers aren’t bad — in fact, they’re thoughtful and nuanced. But here’s what’s missing from the second one:
Urgency. Moral weight. Duty. Consequence.
Men’s obligations read like a code of conduct. Women’s obligations read like a soft list of traits. One is a blueprint for building society. The other feels like a suggestion box.
That contrast isn’t AI bias — it’s a reflection of the cultural narrative we’ve all absorbed.
A Discussion Whose Time Has Come
We’re entering a critical era where entitlement — on either side of the gender spectrum — is eroding the foundations of trust, responsibility, and cohesion. If we want to talk about equity, we must also talk about mutual obligation.
This isn’t about going back in time. It’s about rebalancing. If we expect men to protect, provide, and lead, then we must ask what women are doing to stabilize, shape, and strengthen the world around them — not as victims or exceptions, but as equal participants in the building of civilization.
And if that question feels threatening or taboo, that’s not a reason to avoid it.
That’s a reason to dig deeper.
Because when society expects nothing of half its members and everything from the other half, it doesn’t move forward — it fractures.