In spite of this, with the divorce rate soaring at around 50 percent, many women also have to cope with the highly stressful events of marriage breakdown, separation, divorce, child custody disputes, possible remarriage and step-parenting. In addition, after divorce, women face a lower standard of living as compared to their ex-partner whose standard of living usually goes up.
Nothing can be as detrimental to a healthy sex life as one or both partners being under a lot of stress. Then the lack of a satisfying sex life itself becomes a stress factor.
However, in today's uncertain economy, money problems are often a greater source of conflict and marital problems than sex.
Journalist Geoffrey York says in his article, FAMILY LIFE; NOT ENOUGH MONEY, TOO MUCH STRESS, (Globe and Mail, Jan 3/92):
"For most families, two jobs are now a basic necessity of life. The earnings of most Canadian workers have stagnated or declined in the past 15 years... In almost two thirds of Canadian families today, both partners are working outside the home... Some experts have estimated that a family must work 65 to 80 hours a week to maintain the same income that a single breadwinner could obtain from 45 hours of work in the 1970's."
Two income families are under tremendous stress as they work longer hours than ever for less money. Parents become exhausted as they try to look after children and perform their household duties with less and less time to do so.
Two income families are often economically insecure and thus vulnerable to unexpected events such as, "a layoff, illness, a disabling accident, unplanned expense, or loss of baby sitter or daycare center." In addition, the uncertainties of this time in history with all the unknowns about the economy and job market take a toll on both women and men.
In fact, a national mental health survey in Canada in 1992 showed that close to fifty percent of those surveyed felt "really stressed" three times a week, and "really depressed" at least once a month. The majority were stressed about work and money issues.
Other work factors may also be stressful. As Graham Lowe says in WOMEN PAID/UNPAID WORK AND STRESS.
"Jobs characterized by little opportunity for decision making, repetition, machine pacing, close supervision, and under-utilization of skills and abilities will damage a worker's health, regardless of their sex."
Women also make up 70 percent of all part-time workers in Canada. Part-time employees are often treated as second class employees with lower wages and minimal benefits.
Women make up the majority of employees in health care, social services and education where job burn out is common. "What makes these jobs universally stressful," says Lowe, "is responsibility for the welfare of patients, clients or students with limited resources to deal adequately with their needs."
In later life, women, with their longer life expectancy, may well outlive their partners and face the prospect of the sometimes not-so-merry life of a widow with its loneliness and economic stress.
In addition, it is often women who shoulder the burden of life crises and look after the dying, the sick and the handicapped. The grief reaction, which in its acute form lasts at least a year, is often misunderstood and pushed away by family and friends alike.
In fact, any major change, whether it is home, job, spouse, lifestyle or financial status, is a stress to both women and men.
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