Your barriers to leaving become much higher when you're staying at home, haven't worked in years, and have a family. Thinking otherwise is dense.

I personally know people who are in relationships with horrendous people because they have no exit strategies. This is a common thing people talk about in stay at home circles.

The math of leaving is the same, regardless of which parent initiates. Family income is split in half and then whichever parent gets majority custody gets additional money in the form of child support. People, men and women, get trapped in marriages. This happens because the economics of splitting one household income to pay for two households is brutal.

The reverse is also true: People not leaving stay-at-home spouses because they feel guilty about how vulnerable they'd be. It's just a messed up power dynamic in general.