Essay Sample on Divorce Rates in The UAE

Introduction

In UAE, divorce is a legitimate separation process imposed by religion. According to the UAE Statistics Center Report, more than half of the failed marriages in UAE did not last for more than three years. Currently, the number of people trying to get married in the region has decreased while divorce rates have increased (Al Gharaibeh, 2018). Whether the reason for divorce relies on both the spouses, divorce is a substance of effect-chains that should be seriously taken into consideration by the community. UAE is known to the world to observe high morals and regard the sanctity and holiness of marriage with a high valuation. Some of the reasons for divorce include religious and cultural differences, unfaithfulness, social media, lack of coherence and love, husband's tendency to dominate, the dominance of consumer culture in the marriage life, financial strain, lack of communication, and unrealistic expectations especially among young couples (Al Gharaibeh, 2018). Young couples have high expectations like a good life, happiness, and expensive lifestyles from spouses. When they fail to meet their expectations, they end up seeking a divorce. Most young men don't have the means to support their young families (James-Hawkins, Qutteina & Yount, 2017). Some are even jobless and cannot secure housing. Furthermore, they lack the maturity and stability to live up to their new commitments. The UAE society which encourages such unions never revisit the harmony of the newly-wed. Adultery can also lead to divorce. When one of the couples in marriage is unfaithful, the other couple might seek for divorce. In the Islamic culture, infidelity is a violation of the marital contract. The high divorce rates in UAE is rooted in morality (Al Gharaibeh, 2018). The way couples are brought up affect their ability and desire to face reality especially when they were prevented from expressing themselves clearly and freely in their childhood.

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High divorce rates in UAE impact children, families, and the economy in different ways. Children and adolescents are the most affected after divorce. Witnessing loss of love between parents and having them break their commitment can be the worst experience to a child. Divorce intensifies kid's dependence and triggers a more retrogressive response in the child. Since parents will have to separate, instability and insecurity are evident. Some of the short-term effects of divorce on children include anxiety, irritability, intense sadness, distress, and constant stress. On the other hand, the long-term effects include social challenges, trouble with relationships, poor education, and depression. Normally, children from divorced households withdraw from their homes and seek intimacy away from home (Toth, 2018). In UAE, most children from divorced parents are vulnerable to emotional conflicts. Such children will find it difficult to take part in certain activities that can enhance their growth in all aspects. They are likely to lose attachment with one of the parents. The fear of abandonment is so profound that it causes the child to panic (Toth, 2018). Families are also affected by divorce. The parental process suffers in the sense that one of the parents especially the father will lose the opportunity to grow with their children. Facing the loss of parental role can be devastating. With separation, parents experience a change of environment, and this can also affect their career. In UAE, careers are influenced by divorce through legal statutes, child-bearing consideration, gender-related issues, and economic status. Even after the divorce, there is a need for continuity in families' economic standards (Toth, 2018). The focus should also be on new treatment approaches to help kids cope with their parents' separation. Loss of family income is a major problem. Majority of divorced wives have less income relative to the needs of the family than their former husbands. When family members live together, there are items of fixed costs such as housing that can be spread around so that the per-capita of maintaining a certain standard of living is less.

To address the high divorce rates in UAE, there is the need to give newly-wed couples long-term support. This calls for the government and the community as a whole to encourage, build, and sustain new marriages. The Marriage Fund is meant to promote mass weddings and to create a strong sense of unity among citizens regardless of their religion, social status, or wealth. The government should advocate for mixed marriages based on love. Elders should also offer counseling services to families and couples in an effort to recognize and better manage differences and patterns of stress on relationships in the community. It is the duty of the government to enhance the formation of strong, stable families on sound principles and identity and support family components and Islamic values (Walsh, 2018). To prepare and implement family awareness programs, it is prudent to first establish a suitable climate for family stability. Parents should also communicate more and have a better understanding of the challenges they are likely to face in life. They could also seek help from a marriage counselor.

References

Al Gharaibeh, F. M. (2018). Causes of Early Divorce as Perceived by Young People in Sharjah: A Field Study. European Journal of Social Sciences, 56(1), 49-64.

James-Hawkins, L., Qutteina, Y., & Yount, K. M. (2017). The patriarchal bargain in a context of rapid changes to normative gender roles: Young Arab women's role conflict in Qatar. Sex roles, 77(3-4), 155-168.

Toth, J. (2018). National identity in the UAE and its capacity for social transformation. In Participation Culture in the Gulf (pp. 151-173). Routledge.

Walsh, J. (2018). UAE-Culture Smart: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture. Kuperard.