ATTITUDES TO FAMILY STUDY:THERE WAS wide agreement (69 per cent) that "there is a lot more pressure on women to get married than there is on men", while 80 per cent felt "women worry more than men about finding someone to marry".
Some 65 per cent thought it is “more acceptable for a man in his late 30s to be single and on his own than it is for a woman of the same age”.
The author notes that despite the pressure on women to get married, they don’t have as much access as men to one of the main ways of meeting people in this country – the pub. A large majority agreed: “It’s easy for a single man to walk into a pub on his own, but much more difficult for a woman.”
Seventy per cent said there was pressure to be in a couple, and 61 per cent said: “I don’t think anybody chooses to be single and on their own if they are really honest.” Many women, especially those in their mid-30s and older, were less likely to believe people choose to stay single. Some felt “well-educated and accomplished women in particular were finding it difficult to find the right partner”.
Women were more likely to have third-level education, and women who rated their job and career as highly important to their wellbeing were significantly more likely to be single. Those who saw it as less important were more likely to be cohabiting or married.
The author writes: “The fact that the importance of one’s work is a key determinant of women’s family status shows how women’s increasing participation in the workplace is influencing their personal lives and personal choices. It is most interesting that there is a gender difference on this item. It reveals that for men, job or career does not impinge on one’s choice of relationship status, while it does for women.”
