I did have a man who was ready, willing, and able to be the typical provider (and he even did 90% of the household chores and cooking), but he decided that masculinity also meant that he needed to exert control over my life (he didn't want to share me with friends and family - including my own children). So I left. I've always been extremely independent (literally even as a 3 year old), so it's hard to say which came first the chicken or the egg.

It looks to me like you are young and impressionable and likely still believe there are major differences between the genders. While I believe there are some differences, they are not so extreme as you describe. The structure we currently live with (in America) is not the same worldwide, which leads me to believe that it is much more a product of our upbringing (nurture) than it is a product of our gender (nature).

The women I know enjoy and are fulfilled by their careers, so it would be (and has been deeply unfair) to place them in a "feminine" box in which they are allowed only to find a man to take care of them.

Learning to be self-sufficient is one of life's greatest gifts. It feels unbalanced (as it should) when women aren't allowed to pursue WHATEVER course they choose. Not all women want to be wives and mothers. Not all women want to pursue a career.

Either way, it is always necessary to learn how to provide for one's self. Even in your perfect world where the man provides - there is still the chance he dies young - or for whatever other reason (illness, unemployed due to layoff, etc.) cannot provide. What then?

I personally prefer to have complete control over my life and future. Men have been an added burden to me throughout my life, so I've decided to go it alone. And I'm happier and more content than I've ever been.