With the right attitude, a stint of role reversal can be hugely rewarding.

For decades, women have been trekking across the globe following their partners’ international careers at their own expense.

They have faced the hurdles of navigating a new environment and developing a foreign social infrastructure while experiencing culture shock.

But for a little over a decade, men have increasingly been forced to contend with the cultural, linguistic and social challenges that beset the trailing female spouse.

According to data from the Employee Relocation Council in Washington DC, “…in 2002 women with trailing spouses represent one out of every five relocating professionals".

Most of the challenges faced by trailing males also apply to trailing women. But it appears that as more men become Mr Moms or reverse their roles to that of the "supporting partner", they face distinct challenges.

There are unique stressors that only men experience, including resentment by other females who feel threatened in their role as trailing mothers; feeling belittled by other men who think trailing males are an affront to their masculinity; and a feeling of being left out of social groups.

Male support groups
Looking at the situation in continental Europe — namely Germany, France, The Netherlands and Belgium — there is only one support group run by expat trailing males based in Brussels called STUDS (Spouses Trailing Under Duress Successfully).  The club came to be in 1994 because of the large concentration of female expats working for Nato, various embassies and the European Headquarters, whose male counterparts were turning to women’s clubs for support to combat boredom and isolation.

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