[mcooks]

Yes. I think in our (American) society we take for granted the social and financial freedom that women have. There are many places in the world where it is still difficult for women to obtain an education, have a career, own property, and raise children as single parents. Some people from other cultures cannot imagine a single woman who is educated, owns a home, and has a substantial income. I think this is why some country adoption programs are not as accepting of single parent applicants. Also, there is still a social/religious stigma attached to just simply having a child out of wedlock.