In a society in which 50% of marriages end in divorce, a woman who "invests" her resources (time and energy) into activities that do not produce income or wealth for her is contributing to a [domestic] partnership "capital" account that she will never recover. The societal challenge is to get women to realize that this is a choice that they are making (consciously or unconsciously) or being asked to make. It's not a good deal and I have advised my children (two daughters and a son) accordingly.