sometimes when women look at the term " submissive" they see someone who doesn't have a say in anything or a master and slave relationship which is the extreme. They are wrong because submissive doesn't mean that you can't have an opinion or that you have to agree with EVERYTHING! some things are wrong, and it is your right to say no when you know it's wrong. Being submissive as more to do with communicating with your man, because when you know who he is you will trust him even more. You will never be able to be submissive to a stranger because you don't know him, being submissive has more to do with trust than anything else.
If you aren't submissive as a woman the relationship will not work, let me explain...
As a man he is supposed to take care of you and if you are not allowing him to do that you are simply saying that he is not doing a good job at caring for you. If you don't want a man to care for you then you might as well stay single because he will make decision for the best of the relationship and you as the woman have to back him up. Let the man have enough space to make important decisions, to call the shots from time to time, let him be the man and take care of you. Let him be the one in charge when you know he can handle it and if you see him struggling or not taking care of things how you want it then COMMUNICATE! tell him this is what I like. You don't have to stay mute; a relationship is a two-way street it is 2 people fighting to make it work. At times you will be in charge of certain things like the household's stuff, or anything he is not good at, but you guys will compromise and discuss what is best for the relationship.
I am not the submissive type when I am not in love, I will not allow a man I don't trust to call the shots because I do not trust him! which is fine but once I am married or in a serious relationship all of that will change.