From a feminist perspective, marriage and family are closely connected institutions through which gender roles, power relations, social expectations, and economic responsibilities are organised. Feminist scholars do not view marriage and family simply as private or natural arrangements. Instead, they examine how these institutions have historically been shaped by unequal relations between men and women. Marriage often establishes the structure of the family, while the family becomes the main social space in which gender roles are taught, reproduced, and sometimes challenged. Therefore, understanding the relationship between marriage and family requires attention to questions of power, authority, labour, sexuality, property, and decision-making. Traditionally, marriage has been regarded as the foundation of the family. It socially legitimises a relationship between adults and provides an accepted framework for reproduction, child-rearing, inheritance, emotional support, and economic cooperation. In many societies, marriage also determines the social status and responsibilities of women and men. Feminists argue that these responsibilities have not always been distributed equally. Historically, men have often been positioned as breadwinners and heads of households, while women have been expected to perform domestic work, care for children, maintain the household, and provide emotional support. Such arrangements can create a gendered division of labour in which women's work is necessary for family survival but remains undervalued. A major feminist criticism concerns the unequal distribution of power within marriage. In patriarchal societies, husbands have traditionally enjoyed greater authority over important family decisions, including finances, children's education, women's mobility, sexuality, and relationships with relatives. Even where legal equality has been established, social norms may continue to give men greater decision-making power. Feminist analysis therefore distinguishes between formal equality and actual equality. A woman may legally have the same rights as her husband but may still experience unequal power because of economic dependence, social expectations, or fear of social consequences. The institution of marriage has also historically been connected with women's economic dependence. In many traditional families, men have controlled property and income, while women's contribution through unpaid domestic labour has received little economic recognition. Feminist economists have emphasised that cooking, cleaning, child care, care of elderly family members, and other household activities constitute productive labour even though they are often unpaid. When women depend financially on husbands,