The reality is that women get paid significantly less in the same role as their male counterparts.

In the U.S., this is simply not true, not for the same role. I'm not saying that there isn't a gender pay gap, but it's not for the same job and it's not caused by gender discrimination. Based on the Nobel Peace Prize winning research of Claudia Goldin, it's because of what is called the 'Motherhood Penalty'. I hate to be pedantic, but this enduring misconception of the gender pay gap kind of drives me nuts.

https://builtin.com/recruiting/gender-pay-gap-statistics#:~:text=CONTROLLED%20GENDER%20PAY%20GAP,accounted%20for%20in%20either%20calculation.

Read the section: CONTROLLED GENDER PAY GAP

Other than that, I get it. It's hard. I'm married with children and I'm a sole provider. So I know how expensive it is, because I pay for all of it. Regardless, if I were single, I would not be willing to date someone who wasn't financially independent. To be clear, my wife was financially independent when we met. I wouldn't mind dating someone who struggled financially , but I couldn't date someone who simply could not pay their bills. Especially if she were a single mother.

Once I get married, or I am in a long term, domesticated relationship (like I am now), then our fates become collective, but not before. Otherwise, I simply risk becoming a solution to someone's problem and not a companion.