Yes... women most definitely get preferrential treatment in the family court system. Especially if the children involved are very young.
And that preference is based on historical and statistical information.
The gap is closing, but in some situations, men not only make more money, they also get more promotions then women.
In business, women are still seen as a liability. There is always the chance that a female employee with get pregnant, which costs the company $$$$....time off for morning sickness, pregnancy complications, maternity leave, parental leave and medical benefits.
In addition, women with children are unable to work flexible shifts, often have to take time off work to care for sick children, deal with "family issues"... yadda, yadda, yadda.
Women are viewed as 'unreliable', so therefore, they are often passed over for the big promotions.
In a lot of families, when the decision to have children is made, SOMEONE has to step back from their career paths to be there for the kids, that's just the way it is, we can't all afford live-in nannies and daycares aren't open 24/7.
And while in some cases it is the father who takes the role... in most, it is still the mother.
So when you take into account the inequity in employment, plus the care taking role that most mothers assume, it is only reasonable to presume that in most families, when a divorce happens...the mother keeps the children, while the man becomes a weekend parent.
As such, he must pay spousal and child support, while the woman continues in her caretaking role, hopefully working in a field which allows her to be home in the mornings to get the kids off to school, and home in time to make dinner.
Historically speaking, since the dawn of mankind, men were the protectors, hunters and gatherers, they provide for their families.....whereas women are child bearers, nurturers, home makers, who birth and take care of the children and the home.
That is still today... the picture of the nuclear family.
It is going to take a LONG time to change this general perception... if ever.
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