Divorce in Gulf Cooperation Council Countries
This rising divorce rate is caused by a range of economic, social, and cultural factors that have had a negative effect on the institution of marriage. Paradoxically, both the challenges of modernization and the traditional norms of arranged and early marriages play a role in the rising divorce rate. Individual GCC countries have taken various legal and social steps to halt the rising divorce statistics and to improve the position of divorced women. However, the lack of implementation of existing legislation that protects the rights of divorced women has been a significant social constraint. It is essential that governments give serious consideration to implementing international laws in conjunction with local regulations and monitoring them effectively and consistently—in particular, a codified personal status law. Governments could also promote information and counseling programs on divorce and the reciprocal rights and responsibilities of marriage.
Divorce is on the Rise in GCC Countries
In recent decades, the countries of the GCC have experienced unprecedented social and economic upheavals that have introduced changes to the social fabric. Divorce, rare and deplored until recently, is now more and more common and increasingly tolerated.
There is an urgent need to understand why divorce is occurring much more frequently, often in the first years of marriage. Doing so will help policymakers identify new patterns that may affect the future social development of GCC countries and find ways to slow the rising divorce rate. Although divorce appears to be a permanent feature of life everywhere in the 21st century, it is especially detrimental to Gulf societies, which pride themselves on maintaining strong family bonds and relationships. Given the high value that Arab societies place on family as the basic structure of civilization, they have a responsibility to ensure that they seek to make divorce a last resort for couples in conflict.
There is also a need to understand the extent of divorce’s repercussions so as to develop programs to deal with its harmful impact on all parties, especially on women and children. In circumstances in which divorce is unavoidable, GCC societies should make certain that children are protected from its deleterious impact, and that both men and women are treated fairly, receiving the rights they are guaranteed under Islamic law (Shari’a), national laws, and international conventions.
Divorce in Gulf Cooperation Council Countries - Risks and Implications
Divorce rates in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have risen dramatically in recent years and continue to rise, with an adverse effect on children, families, and society as a whole. Divorced women, in particular, suffer considerable social and economic discrimination.This rising divorce rate is caused by a range of economic, social, and cultural factors that have had a negative effect on the institution of marriage. Paradoxically, both the challenges of modernization and the traditional norms of arranged and early marriages play a role in the rising divorce rate. Individual GCC countries have taken various legal and social steps to halt the rising divorce statistics and to improve the position of divorced women. However, the lack of implementation of existing legislation that protects the rights of divorced women has been a significant social constraint. It is essential that governments give serious consideration to implementing international laws in conjunction with local regulations and monitoring them effectively and consistently—in particular, a codified personal status law. Governments could also promote information and counseling programs on divorce and the reciprocal rights and responsibilities of marriage.
Divorce is on the Rise in GCC Countries
In recent decades, the countries of the GCC have experienced unprecedented social and economic upheavals that have introduced changes to the social fabric. Divorce, rare and deplored until recently, is now more and more common and increasingly tolerated.
There is an urgent need to understand why divorce is occurring much more frequently, often in the first years of marriage. Doing so will help policymakers identify new patterns that may affect the future social development of GCC countries and find ways to slow the rising divorce rate. Although divorce appears to be a permanent feature of life everywhere in the 21st century, it is especially detrimental to Gulf societies, which pride themselves on maintaining strong family bonds and relationships. Given the high value that Arab societies place on family as the basic structure of civilization, they have a responsibility to ensure that they seek to make divorce a last resort for couples in conflict.
There is also a need to understand the extent of divorce’s repercussions so as to develop programs to deal with its harmful impact on all parties, especially on women and children. In circumstances in which divorce is unavoidable, GCC societies should make certain that children are protected from its deleterious impact, and that both men and women are treated fairly, receiving the rights they are guaranteed under Islamic law (Shari’a), national laws, and international conventions.
Article Index
- Executive Summary
- Divorce Is on the Rise in GCC Countries
- Divorce by the Numbers
- Exhibit 1 - Divorce Rates Are High Worldwide
- Exhibit 2 - Total Divorce Rates Are Rising in GCC Countries
- Exhibit 3 - Divorce Rates Are Rising Among GCC Nationals
- Exhibit 4 - Young People Are Divorcing Early in Their Marriages
- Divorce and Its Consequences
- The State of the Law
- Exhibit A - GCC Countries’ Status of Ratification of the UN-CEDAW and Country Codification of Personal Status Law
- Why Divorce Rates Are Rising in GCC Countries
- Women’s Changing Economic Roles
- Exhibit 5 - Female Education Is Widespread in GCC Countries
- Exhibit 6 - More Women Are Participating in the Labor Market and Earning High Incomes in GCC Countries
- High Rates of Divorce: Not Just Urban Areas
- Exhibit B - Both Rural and Urban Areas in Saudi Arabia and the UAE Experience High Rates of Divorce
- Current Legal and Social Initiatives Related to Divorce
- Policy Recommendations on Divorce in GCC Countries
- Conclusion
- References
Author Profiles
Dr. Mona AlMunajjed is a senior advisor with Booz & Company’s Ideation Center in Riyadh. She specializes in social issues and has worked with various international agencies on programs and projects related to women and social development in the Arab region.
Your comments
About us | Contact us | Privacy Policy | Terms of UseCopyright The Ideation Center. All rights reserved.
