With more women entering the workforce, women felt empowered to leave a place that they may have entered because it was their only career choice, or because their families had placed them there. As one might well imagine, such rules as those that enforce silence, prohibit free discussion and forbid even touching one another contribute to a cold, formal atmosphere in convents. I was a candy striper at the time, and was assigned to assist the nuns caring for the elderly. At 68, she was the youngest nun there. The order decided to leave the convent because just a few sisters were left in a building that used to house up to 20, Schwarz said. Nuns who'd just given up their habits in favor of modern wear decided to give up the convent altogether, and membership in religious orders declined. Typically during early modern Spain many nuns were from elite families who had the means to afford the convent dowry and "maintenance allowances", which were annual fees. Monasteries were economically supported through convent dowries. I had the opportunity to work closely with the nuns at a nursing home in the Midwest. Many of them couldn’t deal with the worldly pressures of everyday life and decided to leave it all behind. As Lynne Appino said in her answer, nuns live in convents.

Rich women built convents to get away Many times, these women would found convents in order to not only pay tribute to God, but also to have a place to go to for peace, comfort, relaxation, and to contemplate and reflect on her worldly duties.

Convent dowries could be waived if the aspiring nun had an artistic ability benefiting the monastery. Nuns often point to a lack of warmth and friendliness in convents, and this has contributed to the decision of many to leave.