Debate over Gambia’s low marriage rate between the sexes has taken a new dimension as scores of unmarried women shift the blame on men for running away from responsibility to marry them.

Gambia seems to be rocked by a sharp decline in marriage amid biting economic challenges and high rate of youth unemployment.

Unlike past years when the country used to see a rise in men marrying women ahead of Ramadan, this year’s marriage rate has sharply dropped leading many to raise concerns. 

Anna Coker believes the low rate is caused by the attitude of the men whom she blamed for dumping their women after marrying them.

“The country is hard but also men will marry you, use you and dump you and go marry another woman. Men don’t love anymore; they are only interested in what they desire in women. Men nowadays don’t marry for love,” she said.

Satang Correa blamed men for the low marriage rate despite acknowledging that some women love and marry for money.

“It’s correct to say some women love for money but the main problem is the men. There are so many bad men who mistreat women after marrying them. They are not into true love and many of them are cheaters. Men runaway from responsibility nowadays because they fear the financial burden of running a house,” she said.

Ndey Ceesay added: “marriage isn’t a joke. Therefore, people should think thoroughly before entering into marriage because many men are like the weather. Their patience lasts in the first three months.”

Shiekh Wadda linked the low rate to the high cost of living in the country while advising that once this problem is addressed by the government men will go after women and marry them.

Sulayman Trawally said women are not ready for men to marry them “because they are demanding the cost of a private jet.”

Reporting by Adama Makasuba