MARRIAGE IS DECLINING
In Guyana as in many other countries, traditional marriage seems to be declining rapidly of late. As understood by many people, there is the traditional marriage and the non-traditional marriage. Traditional marriage seems to be as old as humanity itself. It dates back to early biblical times when Christians contend that marriage was instituted by God between a man and a woman as partners to one another.
The origins of marriage can be traced to the creation of the Book of Genesis in the Bible where God pronounced Adam and Eve to be partners as husband and wife and to be father and mother to any children the union may produce.
Non-traditional marriage is considered common law marriage. It is when a couple lives together as husband and wife, and procreates but do not go through a formal marriage ceremony or do not obtain a marriage licence from the state.
In the past, marriages were seen in more religious terms because most were performed in a church under religious rites, values and morals. Today, rather than being a religious arrangement, marriage constitutes a binding legal agreement through the issuing of a license by the state between two people. Historically, in most cultures, married women had very few rights of their own. They were considered the property of the husband; as such, they could not own or inherit property or represent themselves legally.
The definition of marriage varies according to different cultures and ethnicity, but is principally an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually sexual in nature are acknowledged and recognized.
In some cultures, marriage is recommended or considered to be compulsory before any sexual activity is pursued by couples. However, most societies have recognized marriage as a socially or ritual union or legal contract between spouses that establish rights and obligations between them and between them and their children.
Marriage predates government. It is the fundamental building block of all human civilization. And even though it has been redefined by some societies, it is still based on the anthropological truth that men and women are different and complementary, the biological fact that reproduction depends on a man and a woman, and the social reality that children need both a mother and a father.
Since the late twentieth century, the news about marriage, specifically the traditional form, has not been encouraging. Major social changes in Guyana and other Western countries have led to changes in the demographics of marriage. The age of couples, especially women getting married for the first time has increased considerably. Fewer people are getting married, and more couples are choosing to cohabit rather than marry.
Official statistics show that the number of marriages in the country has sharply declined while the number of persons opting out of marriage through divorce is on the rise. Simply put, the breakdown of marriage in Guyana has reached crisis proportions.
It is alarming that Guyana’s small population is having more than 55 percent of child births to women under 35 years old outside of marriage. And in most cases, mothers are the breadwinners in the home. This has led to a number of children living in poverty and in fatherless homes.
These trends seem to indicate that maybe, marriage has lost its appeal because the nation has made a fundamental shift from being a society defined by the practice of a truly religious faith, predominantly Christianity, Islam and Hinduism, to one characterized by secularization. This generation is not bound by religious vows or rules.