Gender pay gap
Although many couples think that money is not an issue for them, this attitude can change very quickly once a financial imbalance arises. If both earn the same amount, financial issues are certainly easier to settle than if both have different income levels. Despite the efforts of politics and business, women usually earn less than men. The pay gap gets even bigger with increasing qualification and position. Overall, the Federal Statistical Office puts the gender pay gap at 21 percent. There are various reasons for this: women work part-time more often than men and stay at home more often to look after their own children or relatives who need care.
Financial disadvantages of unmarried couples
In addition, unmarried couples are often worse off when it comes to financial matters. Because many rights in a partnership only become legally binding through marriage. In the event of death, the spouse is automatically protected by inheritance law. There is no entitlement to alimony, equalization of pension entitlements or accrued income for unmarried persons. If a partner has worked part-time for part of his or her work or has taken it off more often to look after children or relatives, and the partner separates, the lack of compensation can quickly threaten the existence of the partner. And since this affects women more often, unmarried women are usually in a worse position than men. Although it is also possible to be legally protected in a partnership without marriage, it is much more complex to do so. There are also tax advantages that married couples enjoy.
Framework conditions have to change
In order to limit the financial disadvantages of unmarried women, the President of the Berlin Social Science Center (WZB), Jutta Allmendinger, would have to change the general conditions. After all, it is these who “push women into the role of mother and housewife rather than opening up career opportunities for them,” Allmendinger told Die Zeit. At the moment it is still the case that the “marriage market” pays women better than the labor market.
Editorial office finanzen.net
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