‘Marriage equality’ debate ignores fact that it is husbands who have no rights

The Government has decided that we are going to have a referendum on ‘marriage equality’ later this year.

They appear to be of the opinion that the institution of marriage is deficient in equality. It is deficient, but not in the way that the Government is suggesting.

Many men who are married, or have been married, would agree, but, unfortunately, this upcoming referendum will not rectify the real equality deficit.

Marriage and cohabitation are governed by misandrist laws that are designed to benefit women and which are upheld in a raft of family legislation.

No man or woman who is entering marriage is made aware of these laws by any of the groups that provide pre-marriage courses. If the termination clause of the marriage contract were extrapolated from this legislation and presented in contract form, it would read like this: “the female party may, at any time and without having to provide any justification, terminate this contract on terms which she can largely dictate. She may remove the male party from the family home, purely on the grounds that he is male; she may choose to live off his earnings for the rest of her life; she may plunder his assets; she may dictate the terms of his fatherhood and his continuing relationship with his children, or may terminate his relationship with his children entirely; she may move a new boyfriend into the family home and the courts of the land will make orders to give effect to these diktats”.

Some may think that this is an exaggerated portrayal of the family law system but, sadly, many men have found to their cost that it is entirely accurate.

If they were made aware of this fact, then men would simply avoid marriage.

Matt Harper

Clones Road

Monaghan