What boss babes want from men
CAREER-DRIVEN and successful women have got a bad rap on the dating scene for being hard to please, and even hard to love, because they are fiercely headstrong and independent. Even those women who have found partners are more likely to end up single the higher up the career ladder they climb. A 2020 study published in the American Economic Journal found that married women were twice as likely to be divorced three years after their promotion to CEO level compared to their male counterparts.
But it is a commonly held misconception that women who don’t need men don’t want them either. As these boss babes will tell you, they just happen to need more from their partners than the bare minimum that many men are willing and able to give in a relationship. This is what they really want:
Debbie, 35, entrepreneur:
More than anything I want support and stability. Not financial stability, but the stability of having a steady love to journey through this life with, knowing that regardless of what happens out there we can come home to comfort each other. I also want a lot of romance, quality conversations and for heaven’s sake, a sense of humour.
Michelle, 38, manager:
I want a man that can support me emotionally. One that knows that the little things are just as important as the big things in life, and is willing to watch me do my thing and say, ‘That’s my baby,’ instead of comparing pay cheques and feeling emasculated. I also value honesty very much in a partner.
Sherry, 40, team lead:
What do I want in a man? Let’s start with R-E-S-P-E-C-T – once he can respect me and my hustle, and my commitment to my own growth, then everything will fall into place. I also want honesty, loyalty, and trust. He must accept that my dogs are the only children I will ever have, and be willing to pull his weight around the home, too, because I do not intend to become a domestic goddess at any point in my life.
Sharon, 43, salon owner:
I want a man who knows that although I don’t need him financially, I need him in other ways. I need a man who can listen to me, comfort me, and complement my life in all the other areas. I shouldn’t be worried about my business and worrying about the man on top of it. He must be my peace, not a piece of the problem.
Ayesha, 32, consultant:
What I love the most is that the man I am married to is that he is secure in himself. He is not intimidated by, or even concerned about, how much money I make, because he is busy making his own money. He is not worried about the nights I work late or come home tired, because he has his own thing going too. He isn’t jealous of men looking at me when we go out, because he trusts me, just like I trust him. And more than that, he makes sure the time we have together is quality time every time. He is fun and he is very cheesy and romantic, and I love it. I have been through the toxic men who made me feel guilty for being ambitious and made themselves some sort of victims, saying I don’t make enough time for them and all of that, and I am so glad I didn’t settle for any of them.
