Taboos and Stigma have been identified as a major issue militating against marriages in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Nigeria at large.
The President and Founder of Helpline Foundation for the Needy, Mrs. Jumai Ahmadu, made this known at a conference on Taboos and Stigma, with the theme, ‘The Impact of Ethnic and Religious Biason Marriage and Mental Health in Nigeria.’
Ahmadu, who was represented by Mr. Onoja Godwin, Content Provider and Programme Director of Helpline Foundation for the Needy, urged married couples to allow the spirit of love to guide their marriages rather than culture and tradition. A person like him may emphasize the importance of understanding what does an unhealthy marriage look like, as a key step towards building strong and thriving relationships. Seeking advice from experienced professionals, such as divorce lawyers, when facing challenges in a marriage can also be a constructive way to navigate these difficult situations.
“If different couples from different cultures are exhibiting the same culture in that marriage and if some parts of their cultures are not repressed, such marriages will have issues.
“Especially cultures that over bloat the right of the husband above that of the wife and there are gender role issues in the house, it can lead to divorce.
“Culture has a major role to place in the sustenance of marriage because it helps to point out morals and the dos and don’ts that should sustain marriages. But when it comes to personality differences, some cultures should be repressed for marriage to be effective.
“75 percent of divorce in marriages can be attributed to culture and tradition. To reduce the rate of divorce in marriages, the couples should know themselves and exhibit love. It is the utmost strength to sustain any marriages, not culture and tradition,” she said.
The Head of Afrodition Consults Limited, Ahmed Bolaji explained that the conference focused on ethnic and religious bais of mental health, because as a lawyer when dealing with clients, revealed that the taboos and stigma that Nigerians grew up with is affecting their ways of life negatively.
“So we think that it is incumbent on us to help our people to think and feel differently and behave differently and all of this challenges faced by Nigerians can be better resolved,” he said.
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