Social taboos on the topic of divorce are changing in Egypt, according to a CNN article.

Before, divorce and relationships were never widely talked about in public –  each was considered a private matter – but now it is becoming a hot topic to talk about in the media.

Egypt is and always has been a patriarchal society where men have more rights than woman. The country is ruled by Islamic law, which is based on the Islam religion Shari’a.

This law dictates practices for both marriage and divorce. Rights are unequal for men and women.

Under the Islamic Shari’a, men can divorce their wives at any time, any place and for any reason by saying, “I divorce you” three times consecutively. Women can only get a divorce through legal court action.

But times, they are a-changing…

In 2000, Egypt amended their laws allowing woman to initiate “no fault” divorces called Khula. Even though this seems to be a breakthrough, women who seek Khula must surrender all claims to alimony and their dowries.

As barriers break down and talking about divorce in public becomes more popular, more women are filing for divorce and more are seeking counseling for their marriages.

The number of divorces in Egypt is constantly increasing. According to CNN, the divorce rate in 2008 jumped 8.4 percent, and now nearly 40 percent of marriages in the country end in divorce. This is the highest rate for any Arab country, and it’s one of the few that publicly discusses the topic of divorce.

One woman – Mahasen Saber – regularly discusses the topic on her radio show called Divorce Radio. She uses her program to help break stigmas and talk openly about divorce and relationship issues.

Saber stated, “The main perception of a woman who is divorced in Egypt, or in any Arab country, is that she is evil or something is not right… that she has done something wrong. I started Divorce Radio to change that view.”

Women’s rights have changed and continue to change over the years in Egypt. Women are gaining momentum with access to education and opportunities for employment. They now have the opportunity for economic independence.

With this increase in divorce, it’s only natural for people to speak out about the topic. Women are the most affected and the main group discussing it, as it’s changing the way they think and live their lives.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 12:05 pm and is filed under Divorce Law. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.