Talk about a magazine articleThe EconomistThe British newspaper reported the rise in divorce cases in many Arab countries, noting that the percentage of women entering divorce proceedings has increased in those countries compared to years ago.
The report indicated that previously divorced women were the subject of criticism, but today they challenge patriarchal traditions, customs and authority, whether at court, in the marriage bed or among the clergy.
According to the report, divorce has become increasingly common in Arab countries at a time when it is on the decline in Western countries.
In Egypt, for example, divorce cases have doubled since the year 2000, when the process became easier for women following the change in laws.
In Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, more than a third of marriages end in divorce, and in Kuwait it exceeds almost half, according to the magazine.
The magazine adds that one of the reasons for the increase in these numbers is due to the facilitation of procedures for women to file for divorce in many Arab countries such as Egypt, Algeria, Jordan and Morocco.
Among the reasons, according to the magazine, is the decline in parental influence in perpetuating unhappy marriages and the increase in marriages that depend on love and not on arranged marriages by parents.
The newspaper quotes Moroccan sociologist Somaya Noaman Jesous as saying that marriage in Arab countries “has been transformed from a collective decision to an individual choice”.
In addition to the diminishing influence of religious figures and family members on the decision to divorce, the magazine says that female participation in the workforce has given millions of women financial independence.
Several research studies in the Middle East have indicated the prevalence of divorce cases in 22 Arab countries, where more than 400 million Arabs live; Divorce has become a phenomenon that official government agencies monitor every minute.
According to these studies, Saudi Arabia recorded 7 divorce cases every hour, with an average of 162 cases per day. In Tunisia, there are 940 divorce cases per month, an average of four cases every 3 hours. In Algeria, divorce cases have risen to 64,000 cases per year, an average of one case every 12 minutes. In Jordan, divorce cases have reached 14,000 cases per year.
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