When a woman gives the first step, some people think that it means she is "easy" or a whore. The expected reaction for the same actions is different. So many women who are interested in a man, usually approach in a different way, by being around, dropping "hints" and all that.

Now some women start to ask men for dates, but depending on the man, reaction can be the opposite of what you want. I mean, some man would consider that a woman doing the askin "emmasculates them".

The point I'm trying to make is that for customs to change, we need time. Eventually it would become normalized.