I am working on an article on relationships and marriages. In my part of the world marriage feels like punishment on the female gender. In the days of old as I learnt, it was the responsibility of the man to provide and protect the family but in today’s society, men relax and have the women do almost everything. I observed this most in Nigeria or African. women grow old faster once married. I take instances from my neighbours, family and the society. The man on any day wakes up, take his bath, dress up, eat and off to work if he has one. The woman is the cook, launder, housekeeper, nanny, hand lady, errand girl, cleaner, and she must be working etc. just name it and she must not complain, she must not be tired. For real this is happening don’t think am just assuming. I see it live. Why is it so? I once asked a man in this case, why he maltreats his wife like a slave and he said no reasonable man is allowed to do house chores or assist in anything. The work of the man is to bring money that’s all. Can this be true? Will you like your sisters, daughters, neighbours, friend be treated badly in the name of marriage? Let’s talk. No abuses or insult please. I need soul lifting contribution.
It would seem that in your country is kind of a social mandate for females to get married, so there will be cases, many cases, in which it can be considered a painful situation as it is not a choice that they can make and I assume that many times, they get little say on the choice.
It all comes to education and culture. If you think of Scandinavian and central European countries, even most regions in Southern Europe, the roles are much more balanced. They key is allowing women to get educated and they will never accept a secondary role.
Let me make another point. You two can search on the internet and see the situation of India and Pakistan also China. There are many cases in these countries where a girl is married to someone much older than she is before she reaches the age of puberty.
They are forced to consent to the marriage and even if they do not consent, they are forced to marry, their potential future is ruined.
I'm not saying this happens to everyone or that marriage is a punishment for everyone. But a large section of the population suffers from it and marriage to these victimized girls is hell.