Young women prefer the maturity of older men or maybe their money

A couple weeks ago on BBC radio, reporters interviewed Ugandans perspective on young women’s preference for older married men. The report included perspectives from young women, young men, married women, and married men. All accept and quite often welcome this type of arrangement or relationship.

Men with multiple wives or partners are not uncommon, particularly for men who leave their family in rural areas to work in the big city. The lonely married men find companionship in extremely young women, particularly virgins. Moreover, I’ve heard that some South African men believe that sex with virgin girls kills HIV. Consequently the men avoid using condoms with young women.

The young women prefer these married men to provide financial stability whereas young males are seen as immature, incapable, and impoverished. The older married men understand the relationship require countless gifts: school books, tuition, groceries, clothes, cell phones, transportation, etc. In the context of high unemployment and lack of resources, young women can seemingly uplift their social and financial status with an older man. The powerless married women must accept this arrangement due to their dependence on the same financial support by the men. Thus all women are locked into the societal dependence on males as the economic provider.

Moreover, males with multiple partners are seen more powerful and successful. Case in point, the 40 some year old Swaziland King recently chose another virgin as his 12th wife. Over 2000 young and excited females (minimum age of 21 y.o.) flock to him with the hopes of a better life. Depending on the blood lineage (royalty or commoner) of the female, the king will offer as little as 20 cows or thousands of cows. As a side note, only the female with direct descendent from another king will be able to bear the child of the next king of Swaziland. Like winning the lottery, the new wife will have her own palace and service.

You can’t beat that offer in Africa.