Women and men differ in terms of their definition of care and love. Women, often tend to define their self in terms of their relationships (Surrey, 1985). Defining care in terms of sacrifice is also common. You might go through self-silencing theory in this context. I believe that women's ways of defining relationships, their empathy, and self-sacrificing behaviour might provide some answers.
We should apriciate predominant charitable hearts of females. Males are bread winners that social factor affects kidney donation. Males have high prevalence of NCD, sexsually transmitted diseases, at screening for organ donation. Eventually males get disqualified for live kidney donation and to keep statistics at top.
Generally, women have a great heart for their loved ones and are more disposed to prolong their lifespans even if it should cost them losing their body members to save their lives!
It is a good question. There are several factors (cultural, economic, social practices, health condition, trust, care and affection) that determine the rate of wive (female) organ donation to husband (male).
Foremost, I appreciate all the donors (mainly wives) to have such big heart for donation of an organ during their life span without considering future outcomes. It need a great courage, care and affection . However, we need to look at other factors that propel this rate.
We need to look at the socio- cultural practice of a country or region from which data accumulated. Mostly, wives are younger than husband this provide a higher success rate to get an healthy donor. If we compare the rate of wives younger than husband and wive older than husband may prove some clues. Most of the wives are dependent (economically) to the husband / family hence the probability to get a donor from outside of the family. Hence, the praise for donor went to the sky. Thanks to the various transplantation act for development of ethical, moral and legal procedure to obtain donor so that human trafficking for organ has been reduced significantly during the past two decade. However, before such regulations it made a bottleneck effect on the family to have a donor within the family. Again, wives have greater chances to donate. Most of the parent won't live at the cost of their own children. Hence, even if his own child is willing to donate either the husband (father, male) or wive (mother, female) may refuse to accept such procedure. Their dream, hope depends on their children only. Further, the father or mother of the husband may be aged or technically disqualified for organ donation. Thus, the burden of donation naturally falls on the shoulder of wife. At that moment, wife has to make a very bold and courageous decision to save his husband and to take care her family to come over this obstacle. Hence, she step up the ladder with great care and love on all aspect of the family and donate her organ.
I am not trying to evaluate the act of great care and love showered by wives based on logics. Just, I am trying to convey the factors that propel such act s. We need to collect data based on cultural practices across the world. I am sure again wive will remain top as a donor.
Social expectations and social pressures play a key role in organ donation. Besides, men are bread winners in most of the cases. The gender divided roles and female dependece on males are equally important factors. Females know that men have to go out and work. If on the other hand, female donates a kidney she can take rest at home at her will that is not possible when you are working outside your house.