“Silly reasons” and a lack of life experience are to blame for most failed marriages in Bahrain, with some separating during their honeymoon or the first month of marriage, lawyers in the Gulf state have said.
“Ninety per cent of couples who approach me to get a divorce involve silly reasons, because they don’t have enough experience in life. One of my clients, a Bahraini woman aged 25, filed for divorce because her husband did not take her to the cinema when she asked him to. Even after spending a year engaged to him, as soon as she got married she wanted a divorce,” lawyer Fawziya Janahi told Gulf Daily News.
Another lawyer, Suha Al Khazraji, recalled a client who filed for divorce because her husband objected to her wearing make-up and going out alone.
However, the lawyers stressed that some partners had legitimate reasons for ending a marriage, such as extreme jealousy, obsession, abuse, or polygamy.
“If a man gets married to another woman for serious reasons, like the first wife not giving birth, he should take care of both wives equally. But we see many now just getting married to a younger woman and not giving both wives their rights. He just wants to marry a younger woman and cram both wives in the same apartment,” said Janahi.
In 2015, 500 of 6,344 married couples opted for a divorce in their first year of marriage. Nevertheless, the figure is lower than it was five years ago, when 952 of 5,828 married couples filed for divorce.
Janahi said the number could be reduced by half if couples undertake pre-wedding marriage courses.
“The need for courses in marriage skills is essential. These courses will cut the divorce rate by up to 50 percent. Attending lessons in problem solving, respecting partners and life management skills is crucial,” she said.
In March, 351 couples underwent 10 days of mandatory family counselling. Of those cases, 106 were resolved and 66 were settled amicably by couples who withdrew complaints.
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