March 2026 Global Roundup

Recent family related news included practical advice for women in abusive marriages and a look at the phenomenon of the “alpine divorce.” In China some young women are finding love with chatbots and avoiding romance with men and in the United States divorce is being seen by some trendsetters as an empowering move for women, instead of one of failure. Lastly, we learn that siblings, even growing up in the same household, are affected by a variety of factors that form them individually and as members of a family unit.

Why Keeping Records Is Important When Women Are Abused In A Marriage

Patricia Fersch, Forbes, February 25, 2026

Many women do not report abuse in a marriage for a variety of reasons including a fear of losing their children to the “system”;  a desire to save the marriage for economic reasons; and a fear of retribution. The author advises that if you are in an abusive marriage you should keep records, take photos and keep a diary. It will be a lifeline when you are able to seek help or leave.

Women Are Falling In Love With A.I. It’s A Problem For Beijing 

Alexandra Stevenson, Murphy Zhao and Meaghan Tobin, The New York Times, February, 26, 2026

China’s ruling Communist Party wants young women to prioritize getting married and having babies. Instead, many of them are finding romance with chatbots. It is complicating the government’s efforts to reverse the country’s shrinking population and a birthrate hovering at the lowest level in over 75 years. “A.I. apps provide a relatively safer space for communication and emotional consultation — something that is often lacking in China,” said Rose Luqiu, an associate professor of journalism at Hong Kong Baptist University.

From Reformation’s New Campaign To Divorce Rings—The Rebranding Of Divorce

Karin Eldor,  Forbes, March 4, 2026

Research by Stanford sociologist Michael Rosenfeld found that women initiate about 69% of divorces in heterosexual marriages. Divorce used to signal failure because leaving often meant instability, now it can signal agency. Instead of failure, there is a mindset circulating on line celebrating autonomy, reinvention, and the normalization of women walking away from relationships that no longer align with their lives.

My Sisters And I Had The Same Parents But Were Raised Apart. It Taught Me There’S More To Siblings Than Meets The Eye

Catherine Carr, The Guardian, Saturday, 14 Mar 2026

The author and her sisters had the same parents and were raised apart due to their parents’ divorce. As she understands it, it became an experiment in nature vs. nurture – and had a profound effect on their relationships. To fully account for the ways in which siblings grow up “together apart” there are several factors that need examination including: the home environment, the state of the parents’ relationship, their careers, the pressures placed on each child on account of gender or aptitude, the expectations in families where a child has additional needs – or in the worst-case scenario, where a child may not have survived – before we can begin to comprehend our brother’s or sister’s version of events.

Women Are Being Abandoned By Their Partners On Hiking Trails. What’S Behind ‘Alpine Divorce’?

Alaina Demopoulos, The Guardian, Tue 17 Mar 2026

On social media, women describe alpine divorce as going on a hike, climb or other outdoor adventure with a male partner, only to be abandoned or left behind – perhaps he went too fast and neglected to wait, or a fight on the trail resulted in him storming off. As stories of men leaving their dates in ‘sketchy situations’ go viral, experts say these incidents could stem from big egos and poor communication.