A large percentage of Taiwanese women doubt they would be happier after getting married, according to the results of a survey released by the Ministry of Education (MOE) yesterday.
The survey, conducted between May 31 and June 9, polled 1,468 people over age 18; 749 female, 543 unmarried and 639 under the age of 39.
Of the females, 50.1 percent said they would not be happier if they were married, while only 39.5 percent thought married people are happier than those who stay single.
Of the unmarried, 40.3 percent said life would be better if they were married and 31 percent agreed that married people are generally happier.
Of the respondents under 39, 46.1 percent thought they would have a better life if they were married. Less than 40 percent of these young respondents believed married people are generally happier.
“Generally speaking, women, the unmarried and the younger generation are unsure whether they would like to marry even though they recognize the importance of marriage,” said Lin Ju-ping (林如萍), a National Taiwan Normal University professor of human development and family studies, who conducted the survey.
Minister of Education Wu Ching-ji (吳清基) said the ministry had decided to promote a pre-marriage education campaign to help couples prepare for their married lives.
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