Women Who Stayed Single, No Kids, in Their 70s: How Are They Doing?
They are the women of the quadruple whammy, and they are doing great
If you are a woman, you have no kids, you have been single all your life, and you are in your 70s — well, mythologically speaking, you have four strikes against you. Men, people with kids, people who are married or have married, and young people are more often celebrated, respected, valued, and privileged. Some people will even call you names designed to evoke pity, such as elder orphans.
So what is life like for people in that quadruple whammy category — women who are in their mid-70s and have never married or had children? Do you think they are isolated and alone, poorly educated and just plain poor, unhealthy physically and mentally, needing more help than other women but giving less? That’s the stereotype.
Now, thanks to a study of more than 10,000 Australian women of all marital and parental statuses, I get to tell you about the reality. It is not a new study, but it is well worth revisiting.
The study compared five groups of women in their 70s:
§ Lifelong singles with no children
§ Married with children
§ Married with no children
§ Previously married with children
§ Previously married with no children
Here’s what the researchers found.
