Linda Ikeji Says Marriage Isn't an Achievement

The institution of marriage is one that have triggered diverse debate worldwide. In the west and middle east, marriage have been stretched a little bit and we have seen marriage between humans of same sex, humans and animals, humans and inanimate objects like tree, pizza and the list is endless. Fortunately, here in Africa we still uphold the ancient marriage which is the sacred union between a man and a woman.

African tradition values marriage and no matter how much a woman achieves in life, if she is not married, it is often believed she has achieved nothing. But most successful single women often rubbish the old say and are always quick to say that marriage isn't an achievement.


In a recent chat with Genevieve Magazine, publisher Betty Irabor, celebrity blogger Linda Ikeji shared her thought on marriage and the pressure women face to get married. The 35 years old media personality opined that marriage isn't an achievement. In her words;

"Marriage is not an achievement. There is so much more to life than being someone’s wife. Get married please, but don’t be pressured into it. I don’t know how many of you single girls are under pressure to get married but I am. Pressure from family, friends and people who just can’t mind their business. The pressure is so intense right now I feel like going to husband market – if there is any such thing- to buy myself some breathing space.Give me a break you people".

As much as I would want to agree that African women are being pressurized into getting married before a certain age which is mostly age 30, I can't help but disagree with her opinion that marriage isn't an achievement. If marriage isn't an achievement, why do they called the ones that end in divorce 'failed marriage'. I also notice that most African women are not always truthful when it comes to marriage. The earnestly do pray and wish to get married but act like they do not care. That I feel is living in denial.

I call marriage a big achievement especially for those women who combine it with their career. Marriage is not meant for everyone, that I agree but when you chose to get married, making it work against all odds is a big achievement. A woman who has her home and career and carefully manages both that none suffers, to me, is the most successful woman ever.

The present richest woman in Nigeria, Mrs Alakija has proved beyond reasonable doubt that one can manage both fronts and be successful which is quite commendable. For someone who has always expressed her wishes to be married over the years to rubbish being married and staying married, that I think is being selfish and unreasonable.

As a chameleon which  they are, they start singing a new tune once they are fortunate to be married. As much as I hate the rising rate of divorce in today's Africa, I think it is another reason why people striving to make it work should be commended. Get married if you want, if you do not want, do not get married, that's alright but before you make utterances as a single whether old or young, please and please, try and walk a mile in the shoes of a married woman.

There won't have been need for this article if she had just talked about the pressure and moved on but she just had to add this phrase  'marriage isn't achievement'. After all said and done, our happiness is all that matters, whether married or single, old or young, striving or fulfilled. So, do whatever makes you happy :)