Sisters are doing it for themselves

Single is in. Women are now embracing the bachelorette lifestyle instead of avoiding it. According to The New York Times, the number of single women in the United States has jumped to 51 percent. In the 1950s, the number was a meager 35 percent.

So are women consciously making this decision, or are they just unable to find a man? It appears that this decision is premeditated. While many women still desire a relationship, they have become more selective in choosing a mate. Women are focusing primarily on their careers and friendships and have become less concerned with marriage. They are either waiting longer to tie the knot, or just choose not to get married at all.

Times are a-changin’, and women no longer feel the need to adhere to cultural standards-they will wait for a marriage that’s perfect, both economically and mentally. Women are embracing their independence and freedom. Instead of abiding by other people’s rules, women now abide by their own.

A major contributing factor to the rise of single women is cohabitation. Living with your partner is an emotional commitment but not a legal one. Why bother with the complications of marriage when you can just love and leave as you please? In addition to cohabitation, many women have made the decision to become single mothers. Biological clocks continue to tick, and instead of waiting around for the perfect mate, women decide to have a child on their own. According to a U.S. census, the increase of out-of-wedlock births is being led by women in their late 20s and early 30s who have either delayed marriage or are in live-in relationships with their partners.

So are American females the only ones riding the single train? Not quite. According to the Malaysia Star, the number of Japanese women aged 25 to 29 who have never married has jumped from 40 percent to 54 percent over the past decade. In addition, half of Japanese women between the ages of 35 to 54 have no intention of ever marrying. Bangkok’s women are also choosing to live the solo life, claiming that since they now make their own wages, they feel no need for a husband.

But there is some resentment of the fact that women are not destined to be housewives anymore and they have their own lives to focus on. Many unmarried women assert that the typical man expects a wife to eagerly surrender her job. Or, if they do keep their careers, they are expected to maintain the housekeeping and care for the children–a job all on its own.

Disappointingly, men are not impressed by women’s power. A study by a British university showed that smart women turn off men. In fact, a woman’s chance of getting married drops by 40 percent for every 16-point rise in her I.Q. That’s not just sad, it’s pathetic.

The decline in marriage may possibly even lead to fewer divorces. By being more selective in choosing a husband, women are more inclined to actually tolerate the person that they marry. Unfortunately, the prior generation of women did not have this mindset, and their divorce rates are higher than ever. According to a recent study by Woman’s Day magazine, out of 3,000 women, over half wouldn’t have married their husbands if they could go back in time. Sounds like hundreds of divorces in the making.

What exactly is causing this change of heart for women? Are Beyonce’s songs about independent women honestly that persuasive? Or did Sex and the City prove that the spinster life is actually quite trendy? In actuality, it’s intelligence. Educated women are primarily focused on their careers. Intelligent women have power, and power is an aphrodisiac. The more we learn, the less we desire to settle down.