Interference by relatives is seen as one of the reasons for rate of divorce
Muscat: A total of 3,619 divorce cases were registered in Oman in 2015, compared to 3,622 cases recorded in 2014, with an average ten divorce cases every day, official figures show.
Muscat topped other governorates with more than 1,000 cases in 2015, followed by South Batinah, Dhofar, Interior and South Sharqiyah, according to figures released by the Ministry of Justice.
The statistics show 3,570 divorce cases were registered in 2012, compared to 3,553 cases recorded in 2011, while in 2013, 3,550 cases were processed.
Khalid Al Harthi, a social researcher at one of Oman’s courts, told Gulf News economic and social issues, and interference of relatives, were among the main reasons why married couples were seeking divorce.
Al Harthi said the interference of relatives in decision-making and dispute resolution between married couples made it more complicated to save some marriages.
“More awareness campaigns are needed to educate Omanis before they get married as the number of divorce cases is scary,” Al Harthi said.
Al Harthi said most of the divorce cases took place in the first months of marriage.
Mohammad Al Beloushi, a psychologist, believes infidelity, disparity in the education level between married couples, lack of care of both sides, lack of family commitment and arranged marriages were other reasons behind the increasing number of divorce cases in the country.
Al Beloushi added that providing counselling to new couples about married life would help reduce divorce cases.
He said divorce has a substantial impact on the social fabric, as it leads to family disintegration, enmity between the divorced couples.
Children will also be traumatised due to divorce, Al Beloushi said.
More than 16,000 children were affected by divorce in the country in the past three years, he said.
Rasha Al Mughairi, a mental health counsellor, told Gulf News divorce often has a bigger impact on women than men.
“Many divorced women are afraid of the stigma and discrimination of the society,” Al Mughairi said.
Other women refuse to get remarried due to the trauma of the first marriage and depression, Al Mughairi said.
Ahmad, 24, who asked that his name be changed to protect his privacy, told Gulf News his marriage did not last for more than four months after his wife left the house due to his family’s interference in their marriage.
“I took a bank loan of 10,000 riyals [Dh95,388] to pay for marriage expenses but we failed to build a family”, Ahmad said.
Ahmad’s marriage was arranged by his family.
Oman spends more than 14 million riyals annually on stipends for divorced women, according to the Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of Housing spends more than 200 million riyals every year to build houses for the divorcees.
Meanwhile, observers say the number of marriages registered have simultaneously increased significantly in the past three years as hundreds of job seekers were hired in both public and private sectors since the 2011 protest wave. Following those protests, the government had promised 50,000 new jobs for nationals.
Ahmad Al Salhi, a social worker, told Gulf News that hikes in salaries, employment and mass weddings contribute in the increase of marriage cases, particularly among young Omanis.
The number of marriages registered in 2015 were estimated at 25,652, compared to 27,000 in 2014, according to the Ministry of Justice.
Source: GulfNews