Why More Young Women Are Waiting to Say I Do

At one time, it was every little girl's dream to be married by her 25th birthday. Today, a new breed of young women is waiting a few more years before kissing their perspective princes. A casual glance at trends would suggest that the divorce rate has intimidated the sex that has long swooned over the romanticized view of marriage. Yet, there are other factors hard at work.

More women are pursuing high education. Statistics have shown that women are enrolling into colleges and universities in much greater numbers than their male counterparts. The New York Times reported in its July 9, 2006 edition that men are also trailing women in grades. If you look at the traditional age of completing college in fours being 22, then adjust for the growing number of women seeking doctorates, masters, and judicial degrees. You can begin to understand the trend in women placing marriage on the back burner.

With higher education comes the desire to reach higher positions in the workforce. There is also a large number of woman owned businesses than ever before. As of 2005, there were an estimated 10.1 million majority owned, privately held, women owned businesses. According to the Department of Labor, in 2006 an estimated 67 million women were employed in the United States. From the estimates of those employed, around 75% worked full time. Women made up 51% of workers in high paying management, professional, and related occupations. Even outnumbering men in professions such as financial managers, medical and health related managers, and real estate.

There is also a greater understanding of the financial aspects and social problems of marriage. We are living in a society of the most knowledgeable consumers in our nation's history. The ability to have information at your fingertips is astounding. As a result, there is more financial information on the web than ever. With the general public's knowledge about credit, more young women are waiting to be established. Credit cards, student loans, over-drafting, and other similar financial setbacks usually give college students and recent grads a bad financial wrap. Yet with the ability to look up your potential spouse's credit report, the opportunity to see what lies ahead is often tempting. There are also first hand examples. Young women now have examples of marriages that end leaving the woman either in debt or unable to support herself. Today's workforce is filled with divorcees. Co-workers, supervisors, friends, families, neighbors and other members of the community serve as examples. These very examples also display the downside to marriage. Co-workers who dish about their spouses often point out the flaws that are common in marriage. They lack the romance, spontaneity, and sensuality that young women often dream about. These realistic views generally conflict with the romanticized version that young women carry in their heads.

The ideology of marriage has shifted to encompass the various types of beliefs and orientations. In prior decades the overwhelming majority believed in marriage. Although the majority still believes in marriage, there are a greater number of people adopting more liberal alternatives. Cohabitation has become increasingly popular. Celebrities have glamorized the idea of "spiritual partners." The gay rights movement has also opened the doors for more lesbian couples to live openly.

Although there are other factors contributing to the reason more women are putting off marriage, the same stereotypes live on. Young women over the age of 21 that are unattached find themselves badgered by relatives, questioned by friends, and prodded by co-workers. All of which seem to perceive these women as spiraling toward spinster hood. Yet, young women who are childless and single should look these instigators in the eye and say "jealousy will get them nowhere."