Traditional gender stereotypes lead us to believe that women are the ones who are ready to settle down and get married, but research shows they’re the ones who are more likely to initiate divorce, too. Study after study have shown that women get the ball rolling with divorce more than men, like research from the American Sociological Associationthat finds women initiate almost 70% of divorces.
- Women are more likely to feel like marriage is holding them back- While women are working more today, a lot of husbands still expect their wives to do most of the housework and childcare. A report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statisticsfinds that even if both partners work full-time, 49% of women do housework daily, compared to only 20% of men. Marriage and family therapist Anita A. Chilpala asks, "If the wife makes more money but is still expected to do more of the housework and childcare, what's the point?"
- Women tend to do more emotional labor in a marriage- Men may rely on their wives as their only source of emotional support and that may make them hesitant to leave that, according to psychologist Tricia Wolanin.
- Women are less likely to tolerate "bad behavior" today- In the past, women may have felt like they had to put up with some things in order to have financial security. But today? Not so much. Divorce mediatorDori Schwartzsays today’s modern woman is less likely to tolerate infidelity and controlling or emotionally abusive behavior. She says after the honeymoon phase ends, some men change from romantic to controlling and that “women don’t want to take it anymore.”