The typical African family was not only overly skewed towards male domination but also inherently set up to make the woman a face to be seen, a work- hand and not a voice to be heard. The women were taught the “virtue” of patience in marriage as they continued to be the recipients of harsh treatments from their lordly husbands. While modern African societies have grown increasingly respectful and protective of the woman, they, however, still lag behind in terms of gender equality or women’s rights. Times, however, have changed, while marriages in ancient traditional Africa survived and lasted the life-time of the couples involved, mainly due to the moral opprobrium and stigmatization attached to a woman that left her matrimonial home, contemporary African marriage seems to have completely shaken off this stigmatization as marriages are collapsing in record numbers.
The trend of failing marriages among young Africans while doubtless on an upswing amongst young couples within the continent, it however explodes into full chaos among Africans living in western societies.
There is obviously lack of empirical data to know the relative percentages of divorce or separation between couples living within the continent and those living in western societies, it is, however, clear from court records and proceedings that an overwhelming number of Africans living in western societies have their marriages either collapsing or on the brink of collapse.
The begging question is why the alarming increase in divorce proceedings among Africans in the diaspora? The answer might not be too far from the liberalism and rights and privileges enjoyed by the women of western societies and the sudden realization by African women in western societies of their new found power and privileges and the temptations to wield these powers. The sharp contrasts between the freedom of their host culture and the stifling atmosphere of the African gender disconnect inform their decision to ‘rebel’ and assert themselves in their new homes.
One such cases decided in the Edo State High Court sitting in Okada was filed by one Sharon Usiomoifo against her husband, Oduwa Kelvin Usiomoifo after the woman’s sudden realization that she didn’t have to continue to put up with her husband’s chauvinistic and patrilineal attitude. The court upheld the petitioner’s right under the Matrimonial Causes Act to seek for dissolution of marriage under the omnibus ground that the marriage has broken down irretrievably without even having to prove that the man had acted in a cruel manner that the woman is no longer reasonably expected to live with him. The court duly dissolved the marriage and held accordingly that a Decree Absolute be issued in three months time.
In the above cited case and a legion others, more and more women are becoming aware of their rights especially those living in western societies. It really used to be such an anathema for an African woman to sue for divorce, but time has changed as modernization sets in and ancient oppressive cultures make way for those erected on liberty, freedom, equality and human rights
