Marriage is a sacred bond between man and woman: It’s a bond of responsibility, love and a vow of lifetime commitment. From our traditional Ghanaian/African cultural values to the ‘Holy Matrimony’ vows, marriage is a wonderful and important institution for a cohesive and healthy society. However, whether you’re married or planning to, there’s the possibility that a partner could cheat. This is because life can be a mystery. Both happiness and misery is yours!
Extramarital affairs, if found out has emotional and long term costs: It can destroy an entire family and split mutual friends. It can be heart wrenching and result in violent confrontation and tragic death; people can be permanently burdened with guilt, embarrassment, anger and sense of betrayal. Surprisingly, our Ghanaian society tend to be more tolerant of men’s misdeeds but women are demonised as adulterous, if found out.
There’re numerous reasons why spouses cheat. Some of the reasons could be money issue. Some people cheat when they believe they can earn money or material things in life which they otherwise cannot afford. Hence, the desire for money and material wealth could lead to infidelities. Some people also cheat simply because they cannot seem to live in a monogamous lifestyle. Other reason women, for example become unfaithful may be for emotional reasons. Lack of communication and lack of respectful responses could affect the woman’s self-esteem. This could push the woman into extramarital affairs. Another reason is a sexless marriage and sexual incompatibility. A man for example, will cheat when he feels his needs for sex is not being fulfilled especially in a relationship where the woman’s work and family commitments means sex is no more prioritised in bed. Some people also cheat as a pursuit of romantic trip, especially in a boring and dull relationship. More so, other people see cheating as a way to end an unhappy marriage.
In conclusion, we might not entirely agree on some of the reasons given. However, this is an unfortunate reality which has resulted in divorce among Ghanaians, home and abroad. We could frankly express our opinions, share our experiences, offer advice and insight into this human fallibility. Now, let the confession begin!
