Analysis of Yimesgen Molla Marriage and Family Counseling and Training Center Clients, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract

This study was aimed at exploring the major changes and challenges the contemporary marital practices has been facing. For this, the researched had review various resources, both published and unpublished, so that the theoretical backgrounds were extracted for better data collection, analysis and interpretation for possible recommendations based on the conclusions reached at. The study applied quantitative research method, self-administered questionnaires, that consisted of both close-ended and open-ended. The instruments were administered for beneficiaries of Yimesgen Molla Marriage and Family Counselling and Training Center for 58 sample populations who were addressed on available basis. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used both for quantitative and qualitative data analysis with percentage and mean value difference application respectively. From the respondents, the majority of the participants, i.e., married couples and were living together; or married but separated; or married but divorced; or married but lost their marital partner by death, depicted that the contemporary marital life went through tangible and dependable changes and challenges. Among which prevalence of various types of partnership and marriage formation practices, living with partners before marriage that might end in either marriage or separation (cohabitation), mothers entering to the work force, and singlehood as an alternative to marriage were treated under the key changes marriage today has been facing. Moreover, the key challenges addressed in this study-included lack of conflict resolution skills in marital life; gradual reduction of sexual relationship over time among married couples; lack of communication in marital life; and divorce rate were thoroughly addressed accordingly.