Except in very poor households, parents did not expect unmarried working children to contribute to the household income.
Most support was provided to unmarried older parents with physical-function limitations.
The unmarried were younger than the married women, with 57-7 % and 29-7 % respectively under 18 years.
The continued presence of an unmarried daughter within a family might easily excite the suspicions of pagan neighbours.
Those who are older, unmarried, childless and in poor health are least likely to have robust support networks.
For females, an early marriage is essential, and arranged marriages are the rule, as parents do not want a life-long responsibility for unmarried daughters.
There is no class of persons whose condition has been more improved in my experience than that of unmarried women.
Or, do unmarried women in those countries contribute significantly more births in proportion to their numbers than women in the lower ranked nations?
