No longer are the ranks of breadwinners monopolized by men. There are now a growing number of women out in the workplace and the surprising fact is that they are the main breadwinners of the family, taking charge of the financial aspects of married life.
In the 1980s, the movie "Mr. Mom" was a fun romp, an adventure into the time the husband lost his job and the wife was offered an executive position in an exclusive firm. The husband had a tough time as a housewife and the wife enjoyed her work. At that time, people thought, "Sure, that's going to happen". But now, that fantasy is very much a reality.
Women are being forced out mostly because the husbands had lost their jobs. But that doesn't mean a reversal of the roles of being a househusband essentially neutering a man. These couples work together as partners, which has changed the role for the woman even more. Instead of being seen as "inferior", a "plaything", and "too delicate" to know the truth about the real world, these couples are taking turns, with one staying at home because the family needs it and the other working because of the same reason.
Many women resent the term "female breadwinner" simply because it implies that only men are fit for the job. Sugar Mama, another term that is surfacing, is seen as the direct counterpart of Sugar Daddy, a man whose role is to keep the little woman happy with everything she wants to buy.
Perception, however, doesn't change the facts that women are now working (a phenomenon seen during times of crisis, like during World War II) and are doing very well at this change in roles. Will it continue, though? Is it what women really want? Only time can tell.