Shawn, there also seems to be more and more young women who see little advantage to marriage. My two daughters, for instance, both feel that if they can't find someone who adds something positive to their lives, then why marry. They have happy lives and don't see the point of marrying someone who wants a mommy, or a slave. They are beautiful, educated, successful women who don't need a man to support them and don't want to marry unless they find someone who is equal (ie not a loser), amiable, fun, decent, and who has the same values.
As for older women, I read somewhere that far more divorced and widowed women have no interest in remarrying compared to divorced and widowed men. I really think the majority of older men are looking for a new wife to take care of them and it seems that older women may not want to sign up for that again.
Of course, that's not to say that there aren't many wonderful men out there who are happy to do their part. My dh is one of them. We've been married for 34 years and I just hope we have as many years ahead of us. I think that when two people really care about each other, then they don't use the other person. Instead they try to help the other one as much as possible and they take care of each other. So, then the work load is shared and more or less equal and then no one is left feeling burdened and resentful.
As for the high risks you mention, both men and women are taking a chance when they marry. Not just that it will end in divorce, but there are other risks. For instance, more women are victims of abuse then men. I think that if couples would have longer engagements and seek pre-marital counseling to make sure that their values are aligned, etc. then there would probably be fewer divorces. Paying attention to warning signs that you're with a nut, loser, abuser, user, etc. before you marry would also help both men and women avoid an ill-fated marriage.
