Speak a magazine reportThe EconomistThe British newspaper reported on the rise in divorce cases in many Arab countries, pointing out that the percentage of women who initiate divorce procedures has increased in those countries compared to years ago.
The report indicated that divorced women were previously the subject of criticism, but today they are challenging traditions, customs and patriarchal authority, whether in the court, the marital bed, or among the clergy.
According to the report, divorce has become increasingly common in Arab countries at a time when it is declining in Western countries.
In Egypt, for example, divorce cases have doubled since the year 2000 when the process became easier for women as a result of amending laws.
In Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, more than a third of marriages end in divorce, and in Kuwait it exceeds that and reaches nearly half, according to the magazine.
The magazine adds that one of the reasons for the rise in these numbers is as a result of facilitating the 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 the influence of parents on perpetuating unhappy marriages, and the increase in marriages that depend on love and not on marriages arranged by parents.
The newspaper quotes Moroccan sociologist Somaya Noaman Jesous as saying that marriage in Arab countries “transformed from a collective decision to an individual choice.”
In addition to the declining 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 indicated the prevalence of divorce cases in 22 Arab countries, in which 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, 940 divorce cases are registered per month, an average of four cases every 3 hours. In Algeria, divorce cases rose to 64,000 cases annually, an average of one case every 12 minutes. In Jordan, divorce cases reached 14,000 cases annually.
