While it is incorrect to assume that household heads and spouses necessarily share common preferences it may also be incorrect to assume that returning adult daughters share the preferences of other adults in the household. In Zimbabwe, a 1995 survey indicated an apparent dramatic increase in the rate of divorce in the rural Mupfurudzi study area. If the increasing divorce rates are a result of the first two causes it is unlikely that women's welfare has improved. The third cause, however, may indicate an empowerment of women to make choices regarding their marital state. Data collection is now complete and the preliminary results from the new study indicate that divorce rates may have tripled in the study area since the 1980s.
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