UK

Relationships and marriage
Attitudes to relationships and marriage vary – as they do within any community. However, it is increasingly common for couples to live together before marriage, and many now never marry.

For those who decide to marry, the average age for a woman’s first marriage is 28, and for men it is 30. However, 2 in 5 marriages end in divorce within 10 years, which is the highest rate in Western Europe.

In the past, it was traditional for the bride’s parents to pay for the wedding, but now many couples share the cost with the average cost being £12,000.

Going alone
A recent survey has shown that many women in the UK are choosing to go it alone when buying their own property.

One reason seems to be that the pay gap is gradually closing, which has made it easier for the female ‘singleton’ to enter the property market. There also seems to be a change in attitude of women and men, too.

In the same survey 78% of women asked agreed they valued their independence, compared with only 56% of men – although this may be a reflection of the fact that women have had to fight for theirs?

New roles for women?
Women have fought in battles for centuries, but it is only recently that British armed forces have involved them in military action.

All three armed forces (the Army, Navy and Air Force) are open to women, but whilst women have demonstrated that they can equal their male counterparts during training, there are still certain restrictions terms of roles they can have.

For example, women are still not used in any situation involving hand-to-hand combat, as this is felt to be ‘inappropriate’. This situation means many women cannot gain the promotions their deserve.

Making military history
Captain Philippa Tattersall made military history when she became the first woman to win the coveted Royal Marines Green Beret in June 2002, but the only part of the regiment in which she can serve in is the brass band.

Despite Captain Tattershall’s achievement - the eight-week course has a 48% failure rate for male recruits - British Defence Secretary, Geoff Hoon, decided it would be too risky to find out how the presence of women would affect operations.

It therefore seems that she will not be going to the frontline for some time.