When older women look around them at younger women living life on their “higher sides” of ages, their faces are often filled with surprise and confusion.
These older women do not utter a word, but they feel quite perturbed by this trend towards later marriage, particularly in metros. This article discusses how this system of late marriage has caught up in our society.
Today, unmarried women in their twenties are living life with a great sense of self-respect. Nobody frowns upon them; they are not worried about their marriages. Their parents do worry about their marriages, but these women are neither worrying over the score of their marriages nor do they feel any guilt about it. They are enjoying their virginity and want to ponder over every aspect of married life before stepping into the canopy of marriage. For them, there is only one aim for a woman—consummation into marriage—and most people have become consenting to this outlook on late marriages. Slowly but steadily, the society too has begun accepting this norm.
Reasons for Late marriages
1. Economic independence
This has made it possible for the girls to support themselves financially. They feel it is more important to focus on their careers than on getting married. Several of these girls are supporting their families financially due to the financial strain on them. In such a whirlwind of a condition, thoughts of marriage do not flash through their heads.
2. Fear of commitment
Many of these girls are under the impression that marriage is a contract between two entities—the bridegroom and the bride. They believe that if they do not get married, their parents will be disappointed with them. They subconsciously feel that their family would never support them if they did not get married. This can act as a hindrance in their decision-making process.
3. Concern over missing out on experiences
So many women in this age group have been living independently, working or running their businesses from 9 to 5, attending college, etc., and it is natural for them to feel just too tired for marriage because of their internal disorganization. The truth is that these women have a lot of things to learn—emotional and social skills. They also need to learn how to balance their personal and professional lives, which are often conflicting. This has also made them feel that they have missed out on a lot by settling into a stable relationship too soon.
4. Spending time with family
Traditionally, the Indian girl’s journey has always been interrupted by her mother. The latter continues to ask her age-old questions regarding her virginity and the men she has gotten close to. These girls still have not figured out what they want in life compared to many of their male friends who are already married or living with someone.
5. Complications regarding biological clock
Women can indeed have children even if they marry in their late twenties, but it is not something that the woman would like to do. The complications of pregnancy and childbirth at this age are not totally out of the question. Therefore, many women refrain from getting married because of their biological clock. They want to spend some time with their biological clock before the bird takes off for the final lap.
6. Fear of compromise
Commitment does not come easily for most women in this age group, who are extremely independent individuals with a lot on their plates already: school, career, and family. For too many women in this group, marriage is yet another thing they must think about and compromise on, which they are not ready for. This fear of commitment is the biggest threat to women entering into wedlock in these age groups.
7. Living for the moment
There have been instances where a girl does not want to be burdened by the responsibility of being a wife and a mother at an early age. She wants to explore her world and what it has to offer and live life like there is no tomorrow. Today’s culture has made it possible for her to go out with friends or guys without anyone questioning her intentions. In such circumstances, she does not feel like settling down anytime soon.
8. Search for an ideal life partner: the perfect man
In the past, the girls were taught that the ideal man was handsome and rich. Today, they are searching for a perfect partner who is good-looking, has an interesting job, and is financially stable. These girls are not looking for a physically strong person to protect them. They are not looking forward to getting married because of a physical attraction between them and the person they want to get married to; rather, it is their personality and character that will make them suitable for marriage.
9. Love marriages are more popular.
This is one of the driving factors behind late marriages, as more people today prefer love marriages as opposed to arranged matches. The marriage partners meet each other at a later stage of life, and the chances of them being compatible with each other are more. Most love marriages are based on conversations between the partners, which they have common grounds to discuss. The couples understand each other well, and this makes their relationship strong. A woman doesn’t need to get married very early for her relationship to be strong. If she does so, there are very high chances of discrepancies.
10. Growing acceptance of inter-caste marriages
Today, it has become much more acceptable for a girl to marry a guy from the same caste as hers, which was not the case earlier. In many situations, these girls are often under pressure to get married to boys of their parents’ choice but who do not belong to their caste. This causes them to delay the marriage, but many have chosen to defy family pressures and marry men they love instead.
Effects of Late Marriages
There are many potential effects of late marriages, including increased divorce rates, fatherlessness, and poverty. Additionally, children born into late marriages often have more health problems and lower levels of academic achievement than those raised in traditional families. These problems can be exacerbated by family conflict and the stress associated with raising a child in an unstable environment.
There are many negative consequences to delaying marriage until later in life. It is important to weigh these risks against the benefits before deciding when or if you should get married.
When To Get Married?
There is no perfect answer to this question, as it depends on various factors, including your current stage in life and what you’re looking for. However, if you’re not married yet and have been thinking about getting married soon, now may be the time! The waiting game can be frustrating at any age, especially during these turbulent political times. So why not get started sooner rather than later?
There are many wonderful wedding venues available everywhere across the country right now- so choose whichever one best suit your needs and budget. And don’t forget to enjoy all of the planning ahead of time by reading up on tips for preparation from online resources or contacting local professionals for assistance. Trust me when I say that weddings can be an amazing experience that brings generations together – so don’t put it off any longer!
Conclusion:
All of the above factors can lead to delayed marriage. Therefore, it is important for individuals planning to get married one day to be aware of the possible causes and effects and take steps accordingly.
In most cases, these problems could have been anticipated in advance, and proper precautions could have been taken before entering into a serious relationship.
A late marriage can also result in some stressful situations like financial instability or feelings of sadness that last for a long time.
