Marriage can be beneficial for women if they set high standards for themselves and their significant

Everyone is looking for love. As young women we are taught and often convinced that marriage is a necessity. Some women believe a left hand without a ring on it is just wrong. After reading Steve Harvey’s critically acclaimed book “Act like a Lady, Think like a Man”, I asked myself if there was such a thing as a soul mate, wondering whether I would get married one day.After doing research it turns out that marriage is not what it used to be. Thanks to the Women’s Suffrage movement, women began to have a voice in society. With that voice, we went out and got jobs and held our own. Historically, marriage has been the best route for women to take in terms of financial stability. However, according to the Pew Research Center, women have surpassed men in both education and earnings over the last 40 years. The average age of married couples in 1960 was 20 for women and 23 for men. Today, the age is 26 for women and 27 for men. As for people with college degrees, marriage is postponed even longer. The pressure is placed on women to be able to cook, clean, wash clothes and work. Feminist Maureen Dowd wrote an opinions editorial for the New York Times. In her editorial she expressed her astonishment over research showing that women who were economically “emancipated” by the feminist revolution 40 years ago were more unhappy than men. Women have been placed with the burden of juggling motherhood, while maintaining healthy relationships and a career.So where do these statistics leave those of us that want to get married? Will we be forced to choose between a career and a family?Will we simply have to adapt to the trend of role reversal? For some of us the answer is simple, family is a top priority. For others, a career sounds more attractive. However, as strong educated women, it has been proven that we can handle both. Take our first lady for example, Ivy League graduate, respected lawyer and a dedicated wife and mother. Michelle Obama has set a new standard for what women can and should be. She set high expectations for herself and married a man that met those standards. If ladies set high standards their will recieve nothing less. Everyone is looking for love. As young women we are taught and often convinced that marriage is a necessity. Some women believe a left hand without a ring on it is just wrong. As I read Steve Harvey’s critically acclaimed book “Act like a Lady, Think like a Man”, I asked myself if there was such a thing as a soul mate? I questioned whether I believed in marriage and one day if I did decide to get married how would marriage benefit my life?After doing a bit of research it turns out that marriage is not what it used to be. Thanks to the Women’s Suffrage movement, women began to have a voice in society. With that voice, we went out and got jobs and held our own. Historically, marriage has been the best route for women to take in terms of financial stability. However, according to the Pew Research Center women have surpassed men in both education and earnings over the last 40 years. The average age of married couples in 1960 was 20 for women and 23 for men. Today, the age is 26 for women and 27 for men. As for people with college degrees, marriage is postponed even longer. The pressure is placed on women to be able to cook, clean, wash clothes, and work. Feminist Maureen Dowd wrote an opinions editorial for the New York Times. In her editorial she expressed her astonishment over research showing that women who were economically “emancipated” by the feminist revolution 40 years ago were more unhappy than men. Women have been placed with the burden of juggling motherhood, while maintaining healthy relationships and a career. So where do these statistics leave those of us that want to get married? Will we be forced to choose between a career and a family? Or will we simply have to adapt to the trend of role reversal? For some of us the answer is simple, family is a top priority. For others a career sounds more attractive. However, as strong educated women, it has been proven that we can handle both. Take our first lady for example; an Ivy League graduate, respected lawyer and a dedicated wife and mother. Michelle Obama has set a new standard for what women can and should be. She set high expectations for herself and married a man that met those standards. So ladies, if you set high standards for yourself and for your man you will receive nothing less.