Why don't The Bachelor women have the power to propose?

Vulture

At the TV press tour on Tuesday, new ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke said the women of The Bachelor have a lot of power. As Kathryn VanArendonk points out, "women do have some power in the Bachelor franchise, and it’s certainly more than they used to have. When the franchise began, The Bachelorette didn’t even exist, and in the 16 years since that show’s debut, a few landmark moments have hinted at sea changes: Kaitlyn Bristowe’s gasp-worthy departure from the show’s format to sleep with a contestant long before the fantasy suites comes to mind, and if we’re being generous, the opportunity for female Bachelorettes to even invite men into a fantasy-suite situation in the first place ranks up there, too. But one fundamental and archaic feature of The Bachelor and Bachelorette still puts the lie to any notion that the franchise empowers women: The Bachelorette never gets to propose."