Expert explains what structures triggers higher divorce rates

Data collected over 20 years regarding divorce probabilities in same-sex and heterosexual marriages has recently sparked a significant social media debate.

While viral graphs show that 59 per cent of female-female marriages end in divorce, compared to 39 per cent for heterosexual and 29 per cent for male-male couples, experts argue the interpretation is often flawed.

Jeff Guenther, a licensed professional counsellor, shared an analysis on Instagram on Tuesday. He noted, “So, it's not women. It's marriage specifically that isn't working for women.”

The data, originally built by Stanford sociologist Michael Rosenfeld, highlights several structural issues:

• Domestic Burden: The average woman gains seven hours of housework per week after marriage, while husbands often do less.
• Initiation Rates: Women initiate 69 per cent of heterosexual divorces but show no gap in initiating non-marital breakups.
• Structural Benefits: Marriage provides men with greater advantages in health, wealth, and overall wellbeing.

Women have higher relational standards

Guenther observed that the higher divorce rate among women is often a result of refusing to perform happiness they do not possess.

He stated, “Research shows women actually thrive after divorce: higher life satisfaction, higher sexual satisfaction, less desire to have a partner.”

This suggests that women are more willing to leave when a relationship is no longer sufficient.

Men often refuse to leave marriages

In contrast, the lower divorce rate in male-male pairings may stem from social conditioning. Jeff Guenther explained, “Men are conditioned to stay, to not name what's wrong, to white-knuckle through a bad relationship because being alone feels worse than being miserable.”

Rather than proving that women destroy relationships, the data may suggest that women are better at identifying when a partnership has failed, while men may remain in unsuitable situations for years.