Final answer:
Increasing divorce rates in Canada are not due to women's economic dependency on men; instead, there's a significant increase in women's participation in the labor force leading to more dual-income households, where financial stress remains a key factor in marital problems.
Step-by-step explanation:
Contrary to the belief that increasing divorce rates in Canada are due to women being more economically dependent on men, recent trends and research suggest otherwise. Women's participation in the labor force has significantly increased from 41% in 1970 to 56.7% by 2015. This shift has led to more dual-income households and a pattern where higher earners marry other high earners, changing the financial dynamics within marriages. Financial stress is a major factor contributing to marital problems, with couples having less than $10,000 in assets being more prone to divorce. Additionally, the development of more equal earning opportunities for women has been part of the broader societal shift, reflecting changes in marriage and divorce patterns over the years.
Previously, women had limited access to employment opportunities and income, which contributed to the feminization of poverty, particularly after a divorce. However, as the workforce composition changed, with more women attaining higher education and consequently better-paying jobs, these historical patterns have shifted. The increased economic independence of women may have provided them with more freedom and choice in their relationships, contributing to a reevaluation of the marriage institution. Thus, the initial premise of women's economic dependency leading to high divorce rates does not hold in the current context.