Do man benefit more from marriage than women?

Benefits: Men
Dr. Helen Evans, Ph.D suggests that statistically marriage is helpful to men in terms of their health and overall well being. Men who are married live longer

Benefits: Women
Dr Helen Evans suggests that black women in America, who are married experience a higher economic status.

Benefits: Mutual
Joyce A. Ladner, Ph.D suggests Men and women need companionship, they need to be loved, to have someone to care about them and someone who is there for them.

Dr. Obie Clayton, professor of sociology at Morehouse College in Atlanta, feels that both partners benefit equally in a marriage. He suggests that for married couples there is a wealth benefit, if both parties are in employment.

Dr Boyce Watkins in a recent report indicated that in America married men were experiencing a growth in economic benefit due to the tremendous growth in the number of women in the workforce and that this year 2010, women will outnumber men in the workforce. What the report also indicates that women who chose not to have children earn pay on par with male counterparts but that women who take time away from work to have children may well lose their professional standing after a prolonged period away from work. This situation is due in part to the lack of provision of maternity support in America, and this situation would probably not be mirrored in the UK.

Elizabeth Gilbert author, claims in her book that her research shows that married women are less successful, more depressed, less healthy and more likely to die a violent death than single women. Citing what she calls the "Marriage Benefit Imbalance" Gilbert points out that, while women fare poorly, men actually benefit physically and psychologically from marriage.

And here’s a sobering thought: In the UK One incident of domestic violence is reported to the police every minute. On average, 2 women a week are killed by a current or former male partner.

The UK The Government defines domestic violence as "Any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality."

Domestic violence is very common. Research shows that it can affect one in four women in their lifetimes, regardless of age, social class, race, disability or lifestyle.

Domestic violence accounts for between 16% and one quarter of all recorded violent crime. In any one year, there are 13 million separate incidents of physical violence or threats of violence against women from partners or former partners.

There are over 500 refuges or safe houses for women in the UK, there are 2 for men.

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The views expressed in this article are those of the author. All articles published on Counselling Directory are reviewed by our editorial team.

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Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN11
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Written by Steve Earlam
MSc Psychotherapy. Addictions Counsellor and Behaviourist
location_on Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN11
I am a Drug and Alcohol Recovery Specialist in addition to being a Behaviour Change Practitioner. I worked for many years in prisoner rehabilitation and in Drug and Alcohol recovery. Most of my experience was gained working in Criminal Justice settin...
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