Why marriages continue to break down.

Statistics prove the disharmony existing in many marriages which are breaking down at alarming rate is due to a myriad of factors that are affecting the marriage institution. Times have become tougher for the ordinary Zimbabwean of late owing to the tough economic climate which has seen many struggling to keep up with the cost of living which cotinues to go up. Economic factors can thus be deemed to be a huge factor in the current break up of marriages as financial disputes arise in marriages.

As the courts grapple with divorce cases social commentators strongly attribute marital breakdowns to the emergence of social media. Men and women have over the years been largely exposed to various social media platforms which allow for greater communication and the possibility of men and women becoming involved in extra marital affairs. Despite arguments of social media influence many argue against this notion given the onus is ultimately on the man and the woman to remain disciplined despite the existence of such platforms.

Marriages involving couples of different cultural backgrounds can be deemed as another factor largely triggering divorce cases. An inability to adapt to a husband or wife’s cultural can be a huge factor that is largely ignored. For exampke the way a Shona man or Ndebele man is accustomed to living is in many cases different due to the acculturation process. As a result when a man and a woman hail from different cultures, conflict may often arise resulting in a marital breakdown.

The modern woman can be best described as one who plays a major role in accumulating resources for the family. In the past the man would serve as the bread winner while the wife stayed at home and took care of the children. In the tough economic times the modern woman now also goes to work and conflict has often arisen in cases where women are no longer obediant and submissive due to their financial contributions thus resulting in conflict.

Many argue by going to work women have become exposed to other men thus resulting in promiscuity at the workplace, putting marriages at risk. Another major reason which is attributed as a main cause of divorce cases is the absence of moral values and laws which discourage promiscuity. In many areas within the Arab world one can be stoned to death if they commit adultery yet in Zimbabwe having an extramarital affair has no major consequence. As a result many are not daunted by engaging in affairs thus often resulting in the breakdown of marriages.