EDUCATION CONTRIBUTING TO RISING DIVORCE CASES, SAYS EDUCATIONIST

By BARNABAS ZULU

AN educationist, Chester Mweenda says increasing levels of education and financial independence among women are among the factors contributing to the rising number of divorce cases in Zambia.

In a statement, Mweenda said while education has empowered women economically, it has also changed family dynamics in ways that have contributed to marital breakdowns.

“Education is one of the causes of divorces in Zambia. Unlike in the olden days when most women were not educated and depended on their husbands financially, women today are more educated, more independent and have a stable income base, making them more likely to experience divorce,” he said.

Mweenda argued that in some homes where women earn more than their husbands, respect within the marriage can be affected.

“Women who earn more than their husbands mostly tend to lose respect for their husbands, yet men treasure respect,” he said.

He further said a lack of emotional and financial support from husbands can also weaken marriages.

“Lack of emotional and financial support diminishes women’s respect towards their husbands, and that can also lead to divorce,” Mweenda said.

He added that educated women are more likely to leave unhappy marriages because they are financially capable of supporting themselves.

“Educated women find it easy to divorce their husbands because they have the means to leave bad marriages, unlike uneducated women who cannot take care of themselves but depend entirely on their husbands for survival,” he said.

Mweenda also noted that many educated women shoulder both professional and domestic responsibilities.

“Educated women work full-time but still do housework while their husbands do nothing at home, making women feel burdened,” he said.

He, however, stressed that education should not be blamed but urged Zambians to uphold cultural values that promote mutual respect in marriage.

“Education is not bad. We should not forget our culture, norms and values we believe in as a country. Education should not be a tool to disrespect husbands,” Mweenda said.