This thesis sets to investigate Muslim women’s marital experiences in Accra, Ghana, West Africa. In particular, these experiences had to do with negotiating marriage and divorce. It included the broad marital relations like decision-making, roles and responsibilities, and the management and responses of marital disputes and abuse. I used a qualitative method in this research. I interviewed twelve Muslim women in Accra who provided me with their perspectives, experiences and responses of socio-religious norms concerning gender roles. In addition, they shared their experiences and perspectives on wife abuse and their consequent reactions and management of wife abuse. I found out there are different ways in which women expressed themselves in their negotiations. Because Islam and culture mediated their experiences, there was the option to choose from aspects of religion and/or culture that were favourable at a particular time. Other
times when neither was responsive, they resorted to individual means in which they asserted themselves through the opportunities offered by the context. In responding to very difficult experiences, the situation was more problematic as women’s individual responses were not very helpful. As a result, women resorted to different authorities for resolution. They resorted to the family members, the Islamic religious authorities and the state in a few instances. Depending on the outcome women moved from one avenue to the other until they got favourable and practical responses.