Enab Baladi – Christina al-Shammas
“I am approaching 35 years old, and the idea of marriage is still far from me,” “The costs of marriage are a nightmare that haunts me every day,” “There are many obstacles preventing me from taking this step,” expressed several young people whom Enab Baladi interviewed, highlighting the factors and reasons that have held them back from considering marriage.
The rate of marriage aversion among Syrian youth has increased in recent years due to many social, economic, and psychological factors.
Social researcher Lubna Basmeh estimated, in a conversation with Enab Baladi, that the percentage of youth avoiding marriage is more than 60% in Syria. She explained that the delay in marriage age has intensified since 2011 with the rise of political tensions and the deterioration of Syrian society on all levels.
Priorities limited to “making ends meet”
Ali Nasr (38 years old), a civil engineer working in a private engineering office in Damascus, told Enab Baladi that his family, consisting of five members, relies on his income of one and a half million Syrian pounds. This income is insufficient for their “daily bread,” as he stated, indicating that he has to work as a taxi driver on the side to meet his family’s needs.
“How can I think about marriage while I carry the responsibility of providing the basic necessities of food and drink for my family?” Nasr expressed his situation, noting that the image of an affluent engineer, once seen as a person with a good income, has become a memory of better times.
Riyad Hassan (37 years old), a nurse working in a private medical center in the Mezzeh area of Damascus, spoke to Enab Baladi about the obstacles he faced that led him to distance himself from the idea of marriage. After graduating from the medical institute in Damascus in 2011, and with the escalation of the Syrian revolution, he was forced to flee from the city of Moadamiya in rural Damascus with his family after their home was significantly damaged.
“Fourteen years have passed that I don’t even count as part of my life; I had planned to work in my field of study and get married afterward, but my displacement to another area, the rising cost of living, and living with my family make me unqualified for marriage,” Hassan said.
Social researcher Lubna Basmeh confirmed in her interview with Enab Baladi that the priorities of Syrian youth have changed, and the idea of marriage has fallen outside their area of interest. The rising cost of living, dowry, increased rental costs, and rising unemployment, along with economic and living conditions, are all challenges that prevent youth from taking the step of marriage.
Mandatory military service as a barrier
Mandatory military service and reserve conscription under the ousted Assad regime have been a nightmare haunting Syrian youth for 14 years. Military service typically lasted between 18 months and two years, in addition to a reserve conscription period that could exceed seven years.
Since 2014, the Syrian regime has started sending reserve calls to young men under 42 years of age, prompting many to flee Syria through smuggling or travel to neighboring countries or Europe.
Tamer Asafiyin (35 years old), residing in Germany, spoke about his struggles after graduating from the Translation Department at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities in Damascus in 2013. When he was called to join military service, he had to flee Syria and seek humanitarian asylum in Germany.
Asafiyin said, “My situation is no different from many Syrian youth; we weren’t even thinking about marriage; our only concern was to escape from mandatory military service.”
Youssef Mahfoud (40 years old), who works in an electrical supplies store in Damascus, reminisces about his experience in 2016 when he was informed to join reserve service, forcing him to leave his job and stay home for eight years.
“Eight years of my life went by as a prisoner at home; I couldn’t work or stabilize my personal life, and here I am today with an income of barely two million a month, which means I can’t take the step of marriage that could cost me amounts I need years to save,” Mahfoud said.
Marriage suspended by immigration
Samira Mohammed (28 years old), working in the government sector in Damascus, preferred her life partner to be residing abroad. She believes that Syrian youth living abroad are more qualified for marriage and have better financial capabilities.
Samira thinks that living under difficult economic conditions and an unsuitable environment for stability poses a risk she cannot afford to take.
Agreeing with her is “Umm Omar,” a fifty-something lady residing in Damascus, who told Enab Baladi that marriage in Syria has become fraught with living difficulties that often lead to divorce. Her concern for her two daughters regarding this fate has made her turn down suitors unless they are expatriates.
Social researcher Lubna Basmeh clarified that the idea of marriage abroad has become a significant factor influencing the delay of marriage. According to the social cases that Basmeh monitored, most marriage relationships have become limited to communication through social media due to the presence of both parties in different countries.
Factors delaying marriage in Syria
A study titled “Factors Influencing the Delay of Marriage Age,” published by the University of Latakia in 2019, has discussed the economic, social, and psychological reasons that led to the delay of marriage among Syrian youth. The most significant factors include:
Unemployment Crisis and Housing Shortage: Unemployment is a dual problem, being both economic and social at the same time, reflecting the reality of a stagnant economy that subsequently impacts the social conditions of the unemployed. The high unemployment rate among youth obstructs their chances of obtaining jobs that provide them with a steady income, making them unable to bear the responsibilities of marriage, including securing housing, dowry, wedding expenses, etc., alongside the rising cost of living.
Declining purchasing power has exacerbated the housing crisis, making obtaining housing for many a difficult dream to achieve. As a result, they shun marriage due to their financial inability.
Deteriorating Security Situation: The lack of stability, security, and the widespread chaos over 14 years has left behind a deteriorated economic reality, leading many youth to shy away from marriage and pushing them to emigrate abroad in search of stability.
The study highlighted the reality of delayed marriage among Arab countries, noting that there are psychological factors that negatively impact the idea of marriage among youth, including an exaggeration of partner specifications and witnessing failed marriage experiences.
Moreover, the delay in marriage indicates a significant reluctance among youth to enter into responsible commitments, perceived as a lack of psychological readiness due to incompleteness and immaturity brought about by the new social structure.
Social researcher Lubna Basmeh believes that improving the living and economic conditions for youth is essential to bridge the gap of delayed marriage. This includes providing job opportunities to reduce unemployment rates, offering loans for small projects, and providing assistance loans for purchasing homes or lowering rents.
Socially, parents should take into account the financial circumstances and thus reduce dowries to a reasonable amount that preserves their daughters’ rights, in addition to encouraging youth to take the step of marriage and motivating them to assume responsibilities by introducing them to successful marriage models.
Why do Syrian youth shy away from marriage? Enab Baladi.
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