Marriages often fail because men seek more power in a relationship? YES!! Equality should be present in every relationship whether it’s a nuptial relationship or a sibling relationship. A girl or a woman shouldn’t be considered less or more than her partner, brother or colleague. In a patriarchal society, the husband is always considered superior to the wife because he is the breadwinner of the family. The husband is expected to be the sole head of the family and he gets more respect than a wife. This is so wrong because when we do this, we are encouraging inequality, we are promoting women as weak and insufficient. A relationship is built with mutual respect and equality. The couple should consider each other as equals where neither of the partners can impose their will on the other. How can it be said that the relationship between a couple is equal? Everyone has a different meaning to their idea of equality and even if one of them is met with mutual agreement then the relationship prospers. For example, couples shouldn’t discriminate against either partner on factors like gender or salary. For example, holding the wife responsible for all the household work or casting the husband in a breadwinner role is a patriarchal norm that doesn’t support equality. Each couple has to decide the right way to share equality. If there’s respect in the relationship for each other then, equality is likely to be present in the marriage. While some marriages show us equality in marriages, some show us that social, familial pressures or misplaced self-respect can interfere with it. In most marriages, men dominance is prevalent. Men make more decisions – decisions that have an impact on both the partner and their lives. Men, as per societal norms, are discouraged from helping in household chores or child-rearing activities, as it is considered more of a woman’s responsibility. Even though women are stepping out to take up jobs, men still show reluctance towards household labour.
So equality in marriages depends on the couple and their perspectives towards the general concepts. When a person believes in the underlying societal norms then they are more likely to follow them in all their relationships. A couple needs to smash the societal norms, consider each other equals, share mutual respect and evolve to be better every day for the sake of their marriage. No marriage will fail if both understand their roles correctly. Marriage is about supporting and encouraging each other. It’s not about being better or worse. Equality and respect and unconditional love in a marriage are needed.