Diary,
Never in this country have we been closer to normalising prenups. A prenup, or prenuptial agreement in full, is a legal contract signed by a couple before marriage that outlines how assets, debts and responsibilities will be handled in the event of a divorce or death. It’s almost like a will that takes effect once couples decide to separate.
The reason it’s not so popular here is that for as long as most of us can remember, the married man supported the household financially and, as if by default, the assets came in his name. Maybe it made sense since he earned the money, but that didn’t put into account the woman’s contribution.
Now, things are a little different. For one, women are more educated on matters rights. Taking care of children is hard work and it warrants rewarding. If no agreement is in place from the beginning, this can drag matters in court during divorce proceedings, which, by the way, are also becoming a thing. Gone are the days when a man married and kicked his wife to the curb at will.
The other reason why prenups will soon be more necessary is that women will want to protect their money. That’s right, women have money of their own now. I don’t mean to say they didn’t before. All I’m saying is more and more women are now earning more than their male counterparts.
It’s especially true among the young generation. While a young man is content to lease a boda boda and make enough to pay the loan, eat for the day and leave a little for leisure, the women have bigger dreams. They’re owning cars, houses, businesses and more.
Surprisingly, the prevalence of single mothers means a profusion of dead-beat dads. With young women saddled with the responsibility of taking care of their young, they’ve had to work harder to make ends meet. That success needs to be protected, and women are getting wise to it.
Much as I would like to sound the death knell, I don’t suppose prenups will kill official marriages, at least not at the outset. There is, however, a very high chance that they will make of men many old bachelors. If men don’t up their game, women will have no choice but to call the shots. Only to a certain extent can a woman humble herself before a man who not only earns less than her, he has a lesser claim to her fortune.
Unfortunately, men come pre-equipped with very fragile egos that might just crumble with the changing circumstances. For quite a while now, stay-at-home dads have been a thing in the West. It’s a whole other ballgame below the Sahara. Emerging trends or not, a man who stays at home to take care of the family might never be able to raise a glass at his local bar.
For me, it sounds foreboding to begin a marriage by dividing knickknacks. Why would that appeal to anyone?
