JEDDAH, 7 October 2006 — As divorce cases and unsuccessful marriages are increasing in the Kingdom, so is the need for pre-marital awareness.
In the last two years the number of divorce cases has risen 20 percent, according to government estimates. There are 33 divorce cases daily in the Kingdom and 12,192 per year, according to the Ministry of Planning. While courts and marriage officials last year registered around 70,000 marriage contracts, they processed more than 13,000 official divorce papers.
As employees need training before signing a job contract, women who are about to get married should go through awareness programs that give them tips on how to help foster a happy family, says an official with a civil organization devoted to stemming the growth of divorces in the Kingdom.
Al-Shaqaiq Society in Jeddah has set a program to prepare young ladies for marriage. The program provides them with religious basics and rules in marriage, teaching them about the relationship between the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his wives. This program targets single and engaged girls and women in their first months of marriage.
Young brides-to-be are also taught basic skills and arts that help them when they are married. They learn cooking, tips on laundry and ironing, interior decorating, exercising, hairdressing and cosmetics.
The psychological aspect is underscored in the program. Psychologists give some sessions on how to be responsible wives and how to face and solve marital problems.
The society has a hotline for women who wish to have free consultations regarding their private lives. There are five psychologists: four of them have PhDs in clinical psychology and mental health. They work for five days a week to receive calls and solve problems.
Nahla Al-Mutairi answers the phone and arranges appointments to the callers to speak to the psychologists and give them the needed solutions.
“Some problems are simple and can be solved on the phone,” said Almas Al-Hijn, head of consultancy committee at the organization. “Some problems are serious and callers are asked to visit the society to provide more information in person.”
When a medical interference is needed, the psychologists transfer the patients to psychiatrists to recover and receive medications.
The society claims it was able to solve 614 cases related to marriage last year, including 286 involving problems with couples that have already married.
Al-Hijn said problems included unfaithfulness on the part of the husband or wife. Seventy-four of the 614 cases were problems on the relationship between mothers and children as well as 151 cases described as “psychological” in nature.
“We receive calls from girls who have emotional problems after having relationship with young men,” said Al-Hijn.
“Most of the problems are results of lack of principles in the person’s life,” she said.
Two weeks ago the society started a girls’ club that offer many activities for high school and university students.
“The club aims for girls to know themselves and discover their interests,” said Al-Hijn. “It’s a healthy environment that benefits the girls in this age and invests their energies the right way where they learn new skills.”
