Sometime back in 2017 I visited a friend's village in Nyanza. What struck me was that their large and spacious home had many rooms, including bedrooms.

I didn't understand why a house, where most of the children lived in the city, had so many rooms.

There was something else that caught my eye. My friend's parents had separate bedrooms.

While there is essentially nothing wrong with that, it was not something I thought was very common.

However, an article on Mother states that many women today prefer to be in relationships but live separately.

Some of the reasons listed include the fact that women are natural caregivers, and as they grow older, they prefer to live alone - fewer people to take care of.

As the saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Perhaps this is also another reason why older women prefer to live alone, not with their partner.

The relationships were found to flourish when partners lived separately because they had 'renewed energy', a claim which explains a concern on whether women who prefer to live separately are ideal partners.

Such unions are referred to as live apart together relationships.

Some of the people interviewed on such relationships and listed on the Globe and Mail, stated that women aged above 65 will be interested in romantic relationships, but not very excited at the thought of living together.

Antonio D’Alfonso, 66, said he believes in marriage, and its characteristics, which include living together.

But he admits, “I really believe that women no longer need men, whatsoever ... I’m totally irrelevant.”

Perks of living alone

Other than not having to care for someone else, older women have admitted that living apart is cheaper.

Living alone means occupying a smaller house, which would mean cheaper maintenance.

Other needs like food, electricity and water bills drastically reduce.

Living separately also seemed to be ideal for partners who believe living together is a choice and not a necessity.

Today, young couples, whether dating or newly married, marvel at the thought of moving in together.

For some, it is a measure of how matured the relationship has gotten.

Men tend to believe in living together even in old age.

Women on the other hand, not so much. As natural caregivers, throughout their lives, women have been on the giving end of caretaking. As they age, they tend to want to change this status.

Growing up, girls and women in general take care of younger siblings, as they grow older they take care of their own children and eventually their partners.

Older women seeking a man-free life are described as wanting to be understood differently, as the idea is still widely criticised.

In some cases, women who say they have done enough care giving in their lifetime have been called selfish, but Eleanor Harris' Women Without Men says the decision to accept the fact of living without a man can make an enormous difference.

"Ocassionally a manless woman has the foresight to take fresh stock of herself ... Often such feeling leads to fulfillment".