I’m kind of hoping that what I’m about to say is outdated, but decades ago I knew of several men who decided they could do better but didn’t leave until they had another relationship that they could step into. And having someone willing to cook and clean was very definitely a prime purpose for the process.
It scares the hell out of me. I can’t cook!
Because it would imply her story might not be 100% trustworthy.
Actually the data is very unclear and studies purporting to show that women fare worse than men post-divorce tend to be skewed (e.g. ignoring alimony, child support, taxes, social insurance etc.)
As a practical matter it makes no difference if it “happens to be” the woman or if it just plain old “is” the woman.
Society is conditioned to be supportive of women and to take a more hard-nosed approach to men and their troubles.
And this applies both from the perspective of the people listening to the tale of woe and to the speakers themselves. (Meaning, the women will tend to be looking for support and will be hurt and insulted if you suggest that they may be at fault, while men will tend to be more receptive to implied criticism.)
Have you ever told a woman, “I would have to hear your ex-husband’s side of the story” or even “It sounds to me like it wasn’t all his fault”? Trust me, you will never do that a second time.
It’s all about the old bit that when a man says “I have a problem …” he’s looking for practical suggestions towards a solution. When a woman says "I have a problem … " she’s not looking for solutions, but merely to be supported and have her actions validated.
It’s a stereotype, and has all the limitations appurtenant thereunto. But it also has a lump of truth in the middle of the snowball of BS.
Agree with those saying being widowed is incredibly painful and devastating, but it’s… cleaner, I guess. I didn’t really have to wonder if I’m a terrible person (I already knew!) or take a huge hit to my self-image.
I fear being widowed again. I don’t really fear divorce in that same way. Maybe I think it can’t happen to me where I know being widowed can.
I’ve been both divorced and widowed. Some nights I lie awake thinking about what a jerk I was to the woman who divorced me 30 years ago. Some mornings I wake up after having sex dreams about the woman who died 9 years ago. I couldn’t say which is worse, but such is life, in any case.
My experience is vastly to the contrary: men are more willing to leave a relationship.
anecdotal only, but IME men won’t/don’t leave until they have a relationship to go to.
I suspect that your experience is concentrated on short-term no-house-no-kids both-working-full-time relationships.
Well, I’ve been married for five years, and in this relationship for 10, and we have a house. But yes, that’s true of the relationships I’ve actually left though I was referring mostly to observations of friends.
So was I.
Oh, then no. Nearly all of my close friends are married, own their homes, and have kids.
And the husbands initiated divorces?
Yes. It’s a pretty small sample size, though; I’ve been to 51 weddings and only three of those couples are divorced.
Give them time. 
Well, thanks for the happy send-off. 
Yeah right. What is this, 1950?
Purely anecdotal but seems to me this will depend on factors like is the woman religious, what is her family background (e.g. no divorces, lots of divorces, expectation of staying married no matter what, etc.), and - this is the biggie for alot of women - whether there are kids involved.
In general and broadly speaking, unless there is some reason (“red flags”) I don’t think most women have huge ongoing fear of breakup or divorce.
I’ve heard a saying that is a generalization but I think in some aspects can be true in many cases. It has to do with “what each gender fears most from the other” (in a heterosexual relationship). It goes, “Men fear women will leave them or laugh at them. Women fear men will kill them.” Sorry, I know that took a dark turn! It just came to mind based on the OP.