India, June 24 -- A growing number of women in the US are rethinking the pursuit of marriage and romantic partnership, with many choosing independence over settling in unsatisfying relationships.

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, this shift has come about owing to changing societal expectations, financial security and a common mismatch between what women want and what's available to them. "They would rather be alone than with a man who holds them back," Daniel Cox, director of a conservative think tank, said.

Andrea Vorlicek, a 29-year-old accountant from Boston, said she gave up on dating and is now planning to buy a house and even raise children as a single mother. "I don't want to sit here and say I'm 100% happy. But ...