I am dating but still have not found the ideal partner. I find it difficult to trust men because so many of them are dishonest. I am looking forward to marriage, though because it is such a wonderful institution. In the meantime, I am independent, I try to save so I can achieve at least some of my goals.

Jamaican women seem to have rejected marriage as the path to motherhood. The majority choose to raise their children as single mothers despite the apparent hardships. At least five out of every six births in Jamaica are to unmarried mothers.

According to the Registrar General's Department (RGD), of the 45,790 live births that occurred in Jamaica in 2005, only 7,213 were to married couples. This corresponds with statistics from 2006 and 2007 which reveal that 42,399 and 41,987 babies were born, respectively, 6,317 and 6,643 to mothers who were married.

Despite the high birth rate, the data show that there is an average of 23,000 marriages each year. Between 2002 and 2007, there were only slight fluctuations in the figures.

In 2007 there were 22,854 marriages, 216 or one per cent less than in 2002, five years earlier.

Chief Executive Officer of the RGD, Dr Patricia Holness, pointed out that close to 50 per cent of the weddings involved tourist couples. Hence, technically, fewer than 12,000 couples living in Jamaica get married annually.

According to the figures, women generally married earlier than men, with males in the 30-34 age group leading the charge. More women in the 25-29 age range tended to tie the knot.

Reverend Gary Harriot, who has been a marriage counsellor for the last 18 years, said a myriad of factors contribute to the relatively low number of Jamaicans getting married.

He argued, however, that in most instances Jamaicans recognised marriage as the ideal institution within which to raise a family; however, many saw it as a symbol of progress and, therefore, opted to get married after they believed they had achieved certain things in life.

"I think that deep down, many of our people look forward to a day when they will be considered legally married. So a number of people who may live in unions now, who have children outside of wedlock, look forward to a period down the road when they will be married," he said.

Gender expert Dr Glenda Simms argued that in order for there to be any notable increase in the number of marriages, particularly among Jamaican women, there must be a major shift in the socialisation of young girls and boys.

2002 - 23,070

2003 - 22,476

2004 - 21,670

2005 - 25,937

2006 - 23,181

2007 - 22,854

2003 - 36,300

2004 - 35,613

2005 - 38,577

2006 - 36,082

2007 - 35,344

2003 - 7,107

2004 - 6,835

2005 - 7,213

2006 - 6,317

2007 - 6,643