There are many non-exclusive reasons: companionship, protection, unpaid labor, income, and role-expectations.
Detailing the last three, unpaid labor can look like child care, errand running, home repair, and house work(and while men generally spend less time than women doing this, it isn't zero[1]). Female breadwinner households include male gig work ex: 77% of ride share drivers are male[2]. That's a way of saying that the men in these relationships are not contributing - they can be - just not at a level to be considered a dual earner.
Lastly, let's not discount gender and role expectations. If you are male, have you asked the women in your life if they have been pressured to not be single by their family or peers? Did others have expectations of them? What were their responses?
In my social network, I can name plenty of women who are living with men who engage in drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and have mental disorders, sometimes more than one. I instinctively caricature this type, which makes it more difficult for me to identify these cases, but substance abuse, mental disorders, or physical disorders don't automatically render people homeless, insane, or invalid. They all can, however, make it much more difficult to hold down a steady job or result in under employment.
Nonetheless, some women accept these challenges, while others they regret the pressure they faced or decisions they made in entering these relationships. The effort required to enter and exit relationships is asymmetrical. There is some stickiness to the whole affair even within cohabitating unmarried couples. Deciding to live alone is a serious choice.
Detailing the last three, unpaid labor can look like child care, errand running, home repair, and house work(and while men generally spend less time than women doing this, it isn't zero[1]). Female breadwinner households include male gig work ex: 77% of ride share drivers are male[2]. That's a way of saying that the men in these relationships are not contributing - they can be - just not at a level to be considered a dual earner.
Lastly, let's not discount gender and role expectations. If you are male, have you asked the women in your life if they have been pressured to not be single by their family or peers? Did others have expectations of them? What were their responses?
In my social network, I can name plenty of women who are living with men who engage in drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and have mental disorders, sometimes more than one. I instinctively caricature this type, which makes it more difficult for me to identify these cases, but substance abuse, mental disorders, or physical disorders don't automatically render people homeless, insane, or invalid. They all can, however, make it much more difficult to hold down a steady job or result in under employment.
Nonetheless, some women accept these challenges, while others they regret the pressure they faced or decisions they made in entering these relationships. The effort required to enter and exit relationships is asymmetrical. There is some stickiness to the whole affair even within cohabitating unmarried couples. Deciding to live alone is a serious choice.
1. Table 8C, Table 9 https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/atus_06282018.pdf
2. https://gridwise.io/who-are-rideshare-drivers-a-demographic-...