Ain't No Wifey: Why The Women Of Gen-Y Are Waiting To Get Married

Gone are the days when a woman wanted her man to put a ring on it. According to a recent study, women are in no rush to get married… if they plan on getting married at all. In fact, the marriage rate among women has decreased by two-thirds since the 1920s. The ideal life for a woman used to involve settling down with a man who is “financially dependent” and having dinner ready and on the table just in time for him to come home to her in his suit and tie.

Now that women have the opportunity to become financially independent, they are craving that independence more than ever. Statistics show that less than half of all women in the U.S. are currently married, the lowest rate since the turn of the century. More and more women are prioritizing a career over the quintessential domesticated lifestyle.

While women used to cave into pressures to get married before they were ready, we are now pushing it off until we have created a life of our own. The study shows the average age a woman gets married in the U.S. today is 27. This statistic couldn’t make more sense. I don’t know about you, but the thought of giving up my freedom before that age might give me nightmares.

“The reason for this boils down to our own expectations about what needs to be in place before we marry,” explained Susan Brown, researcher at the National Center for Family and Marriage Research. Translated to our language, "Ain’t nobody got time for that!"

Researchers suggest that another reason women are avoiding marriage is to avoid the legality of it. Why sign a contract with someone confirming that you will stay together and be loyal? The circumstances of your life will change, and so will you. Who wants to have to hire a lawyer just to break up with someone?

I’m not anti-marriage, but I will say this: do not rush into it. There is a reason that the divorce rate is so high. People get married for the wrong reasons and screw themselves over in the long run. Finally, the women of Gen-Y are changing that trend.