Some of the causes behind local divorce cases are linked to incompatibility, differences in temperament, issues with personality, and emotional differences.
The Doha International Family Institute (DIFI) is calling for “mandatory” programmes for those hoping to tie the note as part of an advocacy campaign in an effort to address divorce cases in Qatar.
The entity, also a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, launched the campaign based on local and regional studies carried out over the potential benefit of such initiatives on divorce rates.
The studies delved into the causes for early divorces, values and beliefs deemed important to younger people as well as their knowledge on family pre and post marriage, Qatar’s state news agency (QNA) reported on Wednesday, citing DIFI’s Executive Director Dr. Sharifa Al Emadi.
Explaining the causes of early divorce, Dr. Al Emadi attributed the trend to psychological, social, financial, cultural, behavioural, and ethical factors.
Looking at the reasons behind divorces, Dr. Al Emadi noted the need to incorporate religious, cultural, financial, psychological, and social aspects into the courses.
The DIFI director also noted the need to develop educational programmes that focus on potential marriage challenges and ways to address them, targeting adolescents and youth in schools and universities.
Given the role of research in tackling such social issues, Dr. Al Emadi emphasised the crucial role of scientific research discourse and the need to discuss them on a wider level.
Previously, DIFI carried out a similar survey in cooperation with the Arab League in which the entities delved into the first five years of marriage in the region by evaluating 19 countries in the area.
Some of the various findings of the survey concluded that divorces are related to incompatibility, differences in temperament, issues with personality, and emotional differences. Other factors included economic problems in addition to interference between families.
Evaluating countries that introduced similar programmes, Dr. Al Emadi cited the experience in Malaysia where such campaigns that granted marriage licenses have contributed to the drop in divorce rates.
Qatar’s divorce rates
Official figures show a surge in divorce cases between 2020 and 2021.
In May 2021, Qatar saw an almost 88% increase in divorce rates in comparison to the same period in 2020, per data available on the Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA).
The country saw the highest divorce rate in September of 2020, reporting 230 divorce cases in just one month. Seven months later, 149 divorce cases were reported.
PSA said the difference in numbers can be attributed to the delay in registration due to Covid-19 during 2020, a time where other countries witnessed a significant surge in the number of divorces.
This was seen in the United States, China, Britain and Sweden.
Recent PSA data, cited by QNA, showed that 42% of divorces among Qataris occur during the first year of marriage, with a 58% rise within four years.
A 2016 study from the University of Washington found that divorces usually spike after couples spend longer periods of time together, especially after summertime and holidays.
