4 Reasons Why Women Chose Not to Get Married

Studies worldwide reflect that there is a decreasing rate of marriage. Nowadays, when women are asked if they need to be married, most would answer no. Of course, there are physical and emotional benefits for people to get married, but many women also see the benefits of remaining single. Women are making history by opting to say no to traditional marriage, and the choice may be changing centuries-old traditions.

Here are some reasons why women choose to be single for the rest of their lives:

Driven to advance education or career 

According to Clarissa Sawyer, who teaches gender psychology and adult development and aging at Bentley University, there is a boost in college-educated women than men. Women have invested a lot of time and money into college, hence getting a job, delaying marriage, or opting out of marriage ultimately to pursue higher education or higher positions.

Cohabitation is more common

Sawyer believes that many millennials are hesitant to tie the knot due to threats of divorce. Getting married for millennials is considered a risk, so they tend to cohabitate and get financially stable before getting married.

As per Business Insider, millennials will not hesitate to marry later to take time to get to know their partners, accumulate assets, and be successful financially.

A recent report indicates that cohabitation is common among millennials and Gen-Xers, regardless of race, ethnic category, and educational attainment.

Leslie, who has been in a relationship with her fiancé for ten years, opted not to get married as she is not comfortable having an extravagant event in her honor. She said they could elope and go to the city hall to get married, but for her, marriage would not change anything in their relationship.

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Financial Independence

Many women, especially those with access to educational opportunities and higher-paying jobs, no longer have to marry for financial dependence. Christine, 35, shared with Bustle that if she gets married, she would have to take on her partner's debt. So she would rather keep their finances completely separate.

Happy, Enjoying their Freedom

Research on women who never married suggests they are happy enjoying their freedom and credit their personal development with singlehood. 

Kelly, 56, says that she has been traveling full-time for the past nine years. She said she house sits and lives at no cost in someone's home and cares for their pets while on vacation. She has been to London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Gibraltar, throughout Africa, Hanoi, Osaka, Kuala Lumpur, and even Ya'an, a village in China. She enjoys her lifestyle, and it would be difficult if she were married. She said she has no plans of getting married as she loves her life.

Psychology Today cites that the stigma of remaining single is felt most strongly between the ages of 25 to 35. After that, women start to accept their singlehood and focus on their current life path.

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