New divorce statistics show that women are twice as likely to apply for divorce as men, a conference on family law was told on Tuesday.

The findings support the poll results found by the Iona Institute, which found that women were far less likely to think that married couples should stay together for the sake of children.

When asked to agree or disagree with the statement, “In the absence of violence and extreme conflict, parents who have a difficult marriage should stay together until their children are grown,” 69 per cent of women disagreed, compared with 47 per cent of men who disagreed with the statement.

The trend is also evident in the US, where women are also twice as likely to apply to divorce. No reasons for the disparity in Ireland were suggested by those attending the conference.

One possible reason, suggested by US sociologist David Popenoe, why American women specifically are more inclined to divorce is that divorce laws in many states favour women. He cites many US states which make it easier for women to gain custody of their children. “In states where there is a presumption of shared custody with the husband the percentage of women who initiate divorces is much lower,” Professor Popenoe, a lecturer in Rutgers University, says.