Married Women’s Attitudes Toward Divorce: A Cross-National Multilevel Analysis

Objective This study examines how the division of household labor, work-family conflict, and macro-level indicators impact married women's attitudes toward divorce across various national settings. Background Grounded in the Gender Revolution Framework (GRF) and Second Demographic Transition (SDT) theory, this research explores how married women’s experiences of gender inequality in household responsibilities and work-family conflict, in different national contexts of women’s economic opportunities and government social spending, shape perceptions of divorce. Methods This study used 2012 International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) data from 36 countries, combined with country-level economic and social indicators, to conduct multi-level regression analyses of married women’s attitudes toward divorce. Results Work-family conflict significantly predicted attitudes toward divorce among married women, but only in countries with high gender inequality. Neither housework share nor work-family conflict were found to directly predict endorsement of divorce, overall. However, a significant interaction indicated that the effect of work-family conflict emerged only in contexts with high gender inequality, where higher work-family conflict was associated with greater support for divorce. Conclusion The findings indicate that more favorable attitudes about divorce reflect structural circumstances among married women who face greater inequalities at home, more constrained economic opportunities in the workplace, and limited policy supports.