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VI. Feminism and Marriage: To be or not to be Mrs B

The social and economic benefits of marriage are well known and our reason for getting married was one of these – namely, so that we could emigrate to Australia together. One of us (PC) was offered a new job there and, in order for us to go together, we were required to be formally married. Since PC identifies as a feminist, the concept of marriage and the traditional socio-cultural expectations attached to it are abhorrent to her feminist principles. SB perceived getting married to be a formal recognition of commitment to our relationship but it meant considerable discomfort for PC. Consequently the marriage was undertaken as a pragmatic event at the local register office with only the requisite two witnesses and no other guests. It was all over in a few minutes, the ceremony consisting of only what is required by law. There was no wedding reception or honeymoon. This article begins with PC’s outline of why, as a feminist, she is anti-marriage. This is followed by SB’s account of how being married to a feminist has raised his awareness of the socio-cultural forces that surround it. We then conclude the article with some thoughts on our attempts to challenge the traditional model of marriage.