MUSINGS: INCOMPLETE WITHOUT A RING

I am from a society where a woman’s worth is measured not by her educational qualifications. No, it is weighed by the wedding band around her finger. You can acquire all the degrees in the world but without a “Mrs.” in front of your name, you are regarded as incomplete.

The respect entitled to every human not excluding a woman is not given to you because you are not under a man’s roof.

Your parents, relatives will be falling over themselves to play cupid. They will keep introducing you to different John Doe. Even when you tell them that you are not bothered about your singleton. Even when you play the waiting for Mr. Right (that’s if one exists) card, they will not allow you to rest.

They will take your name and picture from one prayer house to another man of God as if singleton is a fate worse than death. In my society it is! Immediately people know you are not married, they look at you with pity in their eyes. They tell you; “it is well, God will do it.”

As a result of the pressure to marry, many ladies have settled for second best just to bear the title “Mrs”. Rather than enjoy their marriages they endure it. Some are abused by their husbands and in-laws. Although she is abused in the marriage, she cannot leave because of the tag “a divorcee”. When she tells people that her husband that promised to love and cherish her is her worst nightmare turn to reality. They tell her that she is not a proper wife that is why the husband is assaulting her.

They keep forgetting that the man is a full grown adult, responsible for what he does in the home. He is fully aware of his actions as he beats the wife. My society is Nigeria, where a woman must be married to be complete. What happens in you society?