CAIRO - In the TV comic hit serial 'I want to get Married', Noha (the role played by Hend Sabri) was ready to do whatever it takes to find an appropriate suitor to save her from the title of 'spinster'. The serial actually reflected a feminine point of view in a society, that expects young women to get married in their 20s or by the time they graduate from college. This is not the case as such for young men. Although, today, the state of their finances stands in the way of young men, who are willing to enter matrimony, there are other reasons that make thousands refrain from taking this step. The high cost of marriage, which includes a home, the shabka (jewellery, the value of which should be in accordance with the social status of the bride) and dowry, is such a burden that it scares off many young men. For this particular reason, the marriage age of males has risen compared to two or three decades ago. The acute unemployment problem has exacerbated the situation. A study conducted by the National Women's Council revealed that there are nine million unmarried people above the age of 35 in Egypt, of whom 5.5 million are male. In some Arab countries there is the idea of establishing a marriage fund to help young people fulfil tying the knot. In Muslim societies, marriage is of particular significance since it is the only recognised social frame for male-female relationships. Supported by businesspeople, governments and affluent families, these funds provide long-term soft loans and, at times, non-refundable grants, usually giving priority to the most needy. According to Professor Malaka Deraz, a civil status counsellor, the idea of the marriage fund is basically derived from the alms that wealthy Muslims are ordained to give to less fortunate fellow citizens. At the time of the Islamic State, the treasury funds were allocated to help the needy and those wishing to get married. However, bachelorhood is sometimes a deliberate choice on the part of those, who fear to lose their freedom. Ahmed M. a 30 -year-old engineer believes that his freedom, in the full sense of the word, is so precious that he cannot venture to lose it if he decides to make a marriage commitment. He told the Arabic newspaper Akhbar el-Youm that he cannot think of the day, when he has to share details of his life with a partner. Sociologists say that the spread of open relations, nowadays, in certain strata of society, on one hand, has encouraged some men to dispense with what they believe to be 'the shackles' of the marriage bond'. On the other hand, it has prompted others to lose trust in today's girls and in their ability to be good wives and mothers. In the opinion of Inshad Ezz Eddin, a Professor of sociology at Menufia University, broken family ties under the present-day materialistic pressures, have caused young generations to turn their back on marriage in the fear of tragic repetitions. She argues that the new generations' openness to the world, notably through the Internet, has reduced the significance of family life. Close observers of emerging life styles regret that many young people today indulge in a virtual life offered through chat-rooms and Facebook socialising. They are escaping from a thwarted reality, where their dreams are usually shattered, and running towards what they believe are more fulfilling relations. A report by the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) showed that the annual rate of traditional marriage in Egypt dropped from 592,000 in 2000 to 506,000 in 2006. Orfi (customary, unregistered) marriage, which is regarded as illegitimate, has been rising, especially among university students, since such a relation spares young couples the grave financial and social responsibilities, that they cannot afford to assume.
