Spouse

In many parts of the world, spousal rights and obligations are related to the payment of bride price, dowry or dower.

However, this practice was curtailed to a great deal in many countries in the twentieth century, and more modern statutes tend to define the rights and duties of a spouse without reference to gender.

[7] Although married women in France obtained the right to work without their husbands' permission in 1965,[8] and the paternal authority of a man over his family was ended in 1970 (before that parental responsibilities belonged solely to the father who made all legal decisions concerning the children), it was only in 1985 that a legal reform abolished the stipulation that the husband had the sole power to administer the children's property.

[10] Depending on jurisdiction, the refusal or inability of a spouse to perform the marital obligations may constitute a ground for divorce, legal separation or annulment.

The latter two options are more prevalent in countries where the dominant religion is Roman Catholicism, some of which introduced divorce only recently (i.e. Italy in 1970, Portugal in 1975, Brazil in 1977, Spain in 1981, Argentina in 1987,[11] Paraguay in 1991,[12] Colombia in 1991,[12][13] Ireland in 1996, Chile in 2004[14] and Malta in 2011).

For example, the payment of the bride signifies a woman's requirement to bear children, and women using birth control are at risks of threats and coercion.