Latvia is facing a severe gender imbalance that has left many women struggling to find partners, prompting a surge in demand for so called husband for an hour services that provide men to handle household chores and repairs. The trend stems from a longstanding demographic gap in which Latvian women are generally better educated, healthier and living significantly longer than men. Dania, a 29 year old festival worker, said the shortage of men is felt in daily life. Theres nothing wrong with that but just for the good balance you would want to have some more men to flirt or chat with. Its just more interesting, she said. Her friend Zane added that many women are leaving Latvia to find partners abroad. With eligible men increasingly scarce, businesses offering short term handyman services have flourished. Companies such as Komanda24 advertise men with golden hands who can be called out seven days a week to fix plumbing issues, mount televisions, assemble furniture or handle electrical repairs. Remontdarbis service allows women to book a husband for an hour online or by phone, promising arrival in about an hour, operating much like a ride hailing service for household maintenance. The unusual solution reflects deeper social challenges. Male mortality in Latvia is among the highest in Europe, with men four times more likely than women to take their own lives. Sociologist Baiba Bela said the gender imbalance becomes sharply visible between the ages of 30 and 40. In this age group the mortality for men is three times higher than the same age group for women, she said, citing factors such as alcoholism, risky driving and workplace accidents. Among those under 30, men outnumber women, but the pattern reverses quickly; by ages 30 to 39 there are nearly 3000 more women than men. The overall life expectancy gap is the widest in the European Union, with Latvian women living 11 years longer on average. Software engineer Agris Rieksts said macho culture contributes to damaging behaviour. It is kind of perceived that it is manly, that the more alcohol you can handle, the more of a man you are, he said. Psychoanalyst Ansis Stabingis noted that economic upheaval and the transition from Soviet rule pushed many men into depression and unhealthy coping habits. Writer Dace Ruksane said highly educated and successful women are often left single because they struggle to find partners who match their ambitions. The smartest girls are alone. The really beautiful girls are alone if they are smart, she said. They want to find partners who are equal to them. But a man, having all this choice, doesnt need to be very perfect. He just sits in front of the TV and knows he can get a woman. And if she doesnt suit him, he will get another. Eurostat figures show Latvia has 15.5 per cent more women than men, more than three times the EU average. With the countrys median age at 44.1, a crude death rate of 14.9 per 1000 and men accounting for over 80 per cent of suicides, many women are increasingly turning to practical alternatives to fill the domestic gap left by the demographic divide.
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