The decision of when to get married is highly personal and can vary greatly depending on individual circumstances and cultural norms. While some people may choose to get married in their mid-30s or later, others may opt for marriage at different stages of life based on factors such as personal readiness, financial stability, career aspirations, or finding the right partner.

It’s important to remember that there is no universally right or wrong age to get married. Each person’s journey is unique, and the most crucial aspect is to ensure that you are emotionally prepared, committed, and entering into a partnership with someone who shares your values and goals. Ultimately, the decision of when to get married should be based on what feels right for you and your specific circumstances.

There are a lot of different reasons people are getting married later—and it’s a reflection of our time, for better and for worse. Women have tended to get married at a younger age than men, partially because of sexism and spinster rhetoric, but also because women were historically less likely to have as much formal education, let alone go to college or become a career woman. The fact that some women are putting marriage off can be seen as a sign of how much better things are for women now. We have more autonomy and more choices—and we might want to delay marriage while we focus on other areas of our lives. We might not. The choice is ours.

One of the good things about waiting a little longer to get married is that, for some people, it gives them more time to figure out who they are and who they want to be with. If you knew the kind of person you wanted to be me and met the right partner at 21, that’s great—but I know that I changed a lot during my 20s and wasn’t in the right place to be in the kind of relationship I have now until I got a little older. For some people, that extra time is key.

Biology may well impose some deadlines, but I have many female friends who – for various reasons – didn’t have children and are spending their 40s travelling the world, having exotic romances, scaling vertiginous career heights. There is nothing like looking through their Instagram feeds at 4am with a feverish toddler to make you wonder if the female storyline isn’t quite as narrow as you were told. A woman’s mid-30s is a time for decision-making, but we have more options than many realise. Love and fulfilment come in more shapes than a baby sling.

Versuasion Pakistan – Fareeha Robert