Study after study shows that women are vastly more likely than men to file for divorce. One study even went all the way back to 1825. Divorce has changed a lot in the last 200 years, but even those statistics showed that women filed in the majority of cases.
Why does this happen? Every relationship is different, but researchers have some ideas. One is that there is often a lack of equality, especially when it comes to raising children and taking care of the home. Women may feel like all of those responsibilities fall on them and they’ll want to leave the marriage — perhaps to find a partner who splits things up more evenly.
A modern reason for the trend may be related to the financial side of marriage. Back in 1825, the results are even more surprising, since women tended to be financially dependent on their husbands. Here in 2020, women have far more opportunities and many have thriving careers. They don’t need their husbands, in a financial sense, so it’s easier to set off on their own.
Some have even argued that marriage itself favors men and oppresses women. That women tend to take men’s last names is just one potential example. Could women feel oppressed and decide that they want to leave a marriage that their husbands would not voluntarily end because it just doesn’t impact them the same way?
It’s interesting to look at potential reasons, but the only thing that is certain is that women do file more. Regardless of the reasons why, if you find yourself heading toward divorce, just make sure you know what legal rights you have.
