Marriage

Find articles here related to marriage law, including marriage equality, gendered roles in marriages, domestic violence, parenting and more.

How I Broke Through the Fertility Industry’s False Promises to Become a Mom at 44

Assisted reproductive technology is more an art than a science—and until the success rates for certain groups drastically improve, doctors are foisting fairy tales onto vulnerable women. 

IVF was a hot button issue in this year’s election. But today’s discussion about whether IVF should remain legal leaves out a fundamental point: It assumes that IVF works. This is, however, far from the truth for many—especially Black and Brown women and older women—for whom assisted reproductive technology is far from a miracle cure.

Why are we selling women on the idea that they can easily get pregnant after 40 when we know that’s exceedingly rare? The answer is money.

140 Women Are Murdered Every Day by Relatives, U.N. Report Reveals

Home is one of the most dangerous places on earth for women, a new United Nations report reveals. More than 60 percent of homicides of women are carried out by their intimate partners or by other relatives.

The femicide index just released by the U.N. Women entity found that at least 51,000 women were killed globally in 2023, and 6 out of 10 women who were victims of homicide were killed by their spouse or another family member. Femicide is the deliberate murder of females because of their gender.

‘When Power Curdles Into Violence’: Escaping the Tradwife Lifestyle

Brides shouldn’t be thinking about homework just before their wedding day. But when I entered into an arranged marriage with a 28-year-old stranger, I was still just a 17-year-old girl who loved her private British school and her books and cricket—and so I found myself thinking about a creative-writing assignment I had recently finished. I’d written a story about a young woman who wore jewelry in the shapes of snakes. I wrote that they suddenly came to life and they slithered up to her throat, strangling her. 

As someone who was forced into a life I never chose, I am appalled that women, who are more empowered than ever, are effectively choosing a life without choice—putting themselves in a prison of their own making.

Japan’s Far-Right ‘Jokes’ About Forced Hysterectomies as Trump’s Authoritarian Playbook Goes Global

As Americans grapple with the shadow of Trump’s second term, they’d do well to watch what’s happening in Japan, Hungary, Brazil and beyond. When satire is weaponized as a tool for authoritarianism, it’s not just rhetoric—it’s strategy.

Japan’s Conservative Party leader Naoki Hyakuta sparked outrage on a Nov. 11 YouTube broadcast with “solutions” to Japan’s declining birthrate that sound more like a dystopian nightmare than public policy. His proposals—banning women from university after the age of 18, legally preventing women over 25 who are single from ever marrying, and, most chillingly, surgically removing the wombs of women once they turn 30—were framed as “science fiction by a novelist” intended to “spark debate.” But in a country still grappling with gender equality, many Japanese citizens see through the thin veneer of satire. 

The First, First Gentleman: Breaking More Than One Glass Ceiling

First ladies, while unofficial in title, have been unofficially tasked with hosting state dinners, advocating for social and philanthropic causes, and managing the White House’s image, without ever getting paid or recognized the way they should be. It’s a microcosm of the way our society still places these expectations on women in domestic spaces. Even though this labor is essential, it is often taken for granted.

Now, imagine a man stepping into this role. If a first gentleman were to perform these duties, it might force the country to rethink why these responsibilities were so heavily feminized in the first place. And even more so, it might make people question why this type of labor—whether done in the White House or in everyday homes—has been undervalued for so long.

Harris Campaign’s Message to Women: Vote Your Consciences

Even as one of their own vies to be the first female president, even with abortion rights high on the list of campaign issues, even after more than a century of suffrage, some women still look to their husbands and other trusted men before casting their ballots.

The phenomenon is not new, but it could make the difference in a presidential race that is projected to be unusually tight. And because polls predict what could be a record-setting gender gap—with the majority of women voting for Harris and most men backing former President Donald Trump—the possibility that even a small number of women will vote like their men has Harris supporters nervous.

The Gender Gap Among Voters Is Approaching Record-Breaking Levels

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The gender gap may reach record levels in 2024 and, depending on who turns out to vote, it could determine the outcome of the presidential election. The latest Fox News poll finds that enthusiasm is highest among white college-educated women and lowest among white non-college educated men—a finding that benefits Democrats.

Even married couples find themselves at odds in an election where one side appears to be messaging primarily to men and the other sending strong signals to women.

In the U.S., Marriage Functions More Like a Privilege—Not an Equal Basic Right

An excerpt from Allison Raskin’s new book, I Do (I Think): Conversations About Marriage.

“This elevation of marriage is a problem for multiple reasons, because as we know well by this point in the chapter, not everyone has the same level of access to it—legally or financially. The fight for true marriage equality didn’t end with the federal legalization of same-sex marriage, and it is impossible to ignore the classist, ableist and patriarchal forces at play when it comes to who can get married easily and what those marriages end up looking like. “

Ending Child Marriage—For Good: The Ms. Q&A With Clay Dunn, CEO at VOW for Girls

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Oct. 11 is International Day of the Girl, an annual celebration that promotes advocacy for the rights, education and empowerment of girls across the globe. This year’s theme is “Girls’ Vision for the Future.” Child marriage, a practice that robs millions of girls of their childhoods, opportunities and dreams, prevents girls from realizing their own vision for the future. Each year, an estimated 12 million girls are married before the age of 18, perpetuating cycles of poverty and inequality. 

We got the chance to speak with Clay Dunn, CEO of VOW for Girls, an organization that partners with brands, individuals, and the wedding industry to raise money for local partners working to end child marriage in their community.