The rush to marry foreign wives seems to have become a stampede.Since economic conditions do not allow many men to be a woman's knight in shining armour, men who are unemployed are prepared to tie the knot with foreign 'damsels', who are not in distress and often several years their senior.
It is also believed that financial difficulties prompt hot-blooded Egyptian men to set up a home with older non-Egyptian women who are desperate for company. A female expert at a Cairo-based NGO concerned with family welfare said: “The young man is confident that his foreign wife will take him back to her country to begin a new and prosperous life away from frustrated ambition at home.”“It comes as no surprise that the bridegroom's family welcome this type of marriage,” said the expert, who asked not to be named. “The benefits conferred on the groom win support from his relatives for his decision to marry a foreigner. “Unemployed and frustrated Egyptian men strike up relationships with foreigners who are on holiday in Egypt. A few flattering phrases in a foreign tongue win more hearts than a non-existent bank account and limited job prospects.”Most of the men who have married foreigners are from Upper Egypt, notably Aswan, Luxor and Qena, where foreign tourists flock in their thousands all year round. However, some experts warn that mixed marriages would “destabilise the demographic structure of society”. “In the meantime, many Egyptian girls will remain spinsters,” the expert said. Tighter visa restrictions in European countries have not discouraged non-Egyptians from taking Egyptian husbands. In fact, a marriage certificate is, in some cases, as good as a passport or, at best, a multiple entry visa, to certain countries after only 18 months as husband-and-wife. Even so, some men confessed that their marriages to foreigners soured after they discovered that their wives were not interested in family life. One young man from Luxor, who asked not to be named, said he met a woman who seemed determined to chalk up as many physical relationships with Egyptians as possible.“I did propose to her, but she went off with another Egyptian,” he said.
posted
To stay at the subject, when this phenomenon becomes structural, indeed it will result in more unmarried Egyptian women. Besides that, it will influence culture, politics and common opinion. But, I think it`s like market-policy. As soon as there will be a surplus of women, IMO the society will correct this by itself.
BTW, I think the word 'desperate' has been used, because of the sarcastic ironical tone of language that has been used. It is kind of an attempt to keep it lightly humouristic and amused.
-------------------- “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there.” Posts: 7202 | From: EU | Registered: Nov 2006
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posted
Interested in a hot-blooded, frustrated Egyptian man, Sashyra?
Strange that I don`t hear any men comment... Hot blooded frustrated Egyptian men and desperate older woman. Opinion from an Egyptian newspaper...
Posts: 7202 | From: EU | Registered: Nov 2006
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posted
I am sure an Al-Ahram article on this subject will follow shortly.
Oh and maybe the hot-blooded frustrated Egyptian men are just too busy right now to answer to this topic. Posts: 30135 | From: The owner of this website killed ES....... | Registered: Feb 2004
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The article is, most probably, translated words, which cant always convey the sentiment westerners would use. I would have thought "damsels who are not in distress" do not suddenly become "desperate" a few lines on, and "frustrated" men are not always "hot-blooded" romeo's. The article adequately describes the situation in simple terms. Most sensible western women, must, at sometime question the original motives of such a marriage match, but that does not mean the man is any less un loving, un caring, or a con artist. Arranged marriages are normal to them, and they do not love the wife chosen for them right away, it grows with mutual respect and satisfaction of a nice life in time. Often the western/egyptian marriage goes wrong because the woman expects that the man is totally in love with her, or he wouldnt have asked to marry, and does not learn how to create and propogate a loving relationship, and the man looks for development of deep meaning relationship over time. Most men world over are career frustrated. And they seek ways to improve their futures. Making a career neccessary marriage is a choice, no one buys them into bondage. The Egyptian men choose this path, whether they love their prospective wives or not, they have to weigh up the results of all their choices. Men in the west get up to all sorts of tricks to further their careers, but they have more options available to them to do it. Egyptian men have very limited options and one way is to trade their country, potential heirs, and prospects of making an egyptian marriage for a life in a foreign land, with, sometimes, an older partner. Its a simple career choice and trade off for them. Nothing strange to them, as they make marriage matches all over the islamic world based on prospects, money, and trade. It does not take away the love, respect and desire to be together if it is there.
Posts: 160 | Registered: Feb 2007
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posted
I sincerely doubt that the shortage of men due to western marriages is the big issue. Egyptian men are not marrying Egyptian women because they can not afford it. When a good paying job is advertised at 60 LE a month how can you rent a flat, purchase the necessities of life (food for one). There are many many men that are not married, living at home, and will not marry. How did foreign women affect their decisions?
Of course there are devious men out there and women too. But Egypt's problem is not "foreign women" it is their own economy.
Posts: 156 | From: USA | Registered: May 2007
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quote:Originally posted by shahrzaad: I sincerely doubt that the shortage of men due to western marriages is the big issue. Egyptian men are not marrying Egyptian women because they can not afford it. When a good paying job is advertised at 60 LE a month how can you rent a flat, purchase the necessities of life (food for one). There are many many men that are not married, living at home, and will not marry. How did foreign women affect their decisions?
Of course there are devious men out there and women too. But Egypt's problem is not "foreign women" it is their own economy.
Maybe marriage to foreign women is not the original cause of the problem of the huge number of unmarried women in Egypt, but it is certainly exacerbating the problem.
Many Egyptian men are deliberately looking for foreign wives now for the advantages they see in that, i.e. less economic demands prior to marriage, i.e. not being expected to provide an apartment, furnish it, buy the required amount of gold, etc. etc. that they would have to give to an Egyptian wife; avoidance of the potential problems of a wife who has had FGM performed on her, and for some the chance to escape the economic conditions in Egypt. I have had too many men coming to me to ask for my help to find them a foreign bride for those reasons, and more.
Not quite sure where the 60 LE a month salary comes from or why it would be thought of as "a good paying job", even a road sweeper gets paid a starting salary of 200 LE a month!
Posts: 4576 | From: Cairo | Registered: Jun 2002
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posted
I agree many men are looking for foreign women but I think in the long run this will be a good thing. Egyptian families will eventually realise they will have to change their whole approach to marriage to meet the demands of the econonic climate in Egypt and this can only be good for the country as a whole. Men cannot be expected to wait until they are nearly 30 to marry. It leads to too many problems in society including the harrassment of women. In today's modern world it needs two people to share the burden of getting a home together. The whole home does not have to be all laid in before you marry you can do that over time if you start out with the essentials.
Posts: 3809 | From: Paradise | Registered: Mar 2003
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