It's more nuanced than this. The tradition of men paying for dates reinforce gender roles. Young men are as impoverished as young women. Young women who expect men to pay usually date older men that make more money. This either leaves younger men out of the dating game, or compels them to make bad short term career decisions (for example, forgo college attendance and long term career goals so that they can be datable in the short run).

Since younger women are going for older men, there is now a power imbalance in the relationship that reinforces gender inequality. I think going Dutch is a reasonable approach.

Gender equality can only be achieved if women are independent. Independence means that you are self supporting and you don't rely on someone else to pay your way.