For many years, Qatar and other Gulf countries have been sounding the alarm over rising divorce rates and the reluctance of young people to marry. These countries have enacted laws and regulations aimed at addressing or at least limiting this issue, but the problem continues to grow. Recently, Al-Sharq newspaper conducted a comprehensive interview with Dr. Sharifa Al-Amadi, Executive Director of the Doha International Family Institute at Qatar Foundation, who confirmed that state institutions are working together to find radical solutions to divorce problems and youth reluctance to marry, as well as to reduce the risks of social media on family cohesion.
She emphasized the urgent need for state institutions to study emerging phenomena such as the reluctance of young men and women to marry, the negative impact of social media on family life and marital relationships, the high costs of marriage leading to debt traps, high divorce rates, lack of communication between spouses, and the absence of family and marital culture concepts among youth.
Al-Amadi explained that the rise in divorce rates is a global phenomenon, including in Gulf countries where rates are also high. Statistics show that 22% of divorces occur before the marriage contract period (the engagement period), and alarmingly, 46% of divorces happen within the first year of marriage, with most cases involving couples without children. Studies with Qatar University students revealed that the main reasons for divorce are incompatibility, poor partner choice, and unclear understanding of marital relationships during the first year.
Today, families no longer focus on educating children about marital life concepts as they did in the past due to the fast pace of modern life. This requires families, family institutions, and youth centers to raise awareness about forming families and establishing marital life frameworks, as their role is to advance society and prepare the youth to be the nucleus of future families.
Dr. Sharifa views the reluctance to marry as a far more serious problem than divorce because field studies show that many who divorce within the first year or after engagement tend to remarry, which is positive. However, the real danger lies in the reluctance to marry, which affects both genders who choose not to marry due to the luxurious lifestyle and comforts of modern times.
She calls for instilling family and marital culture among both genders as a warning bell and stresses that all community programs should focus on the importance of marital commitment.
From her perspective as a citizen living these problems, she believes the direct cause of rising divorce and marriage reluctance rates is the family itself. These problems emerged and worsened after improved financial conditions and excessive prosperity, which weakened family cohesion and bonding. Families suffer from fragmentation due to the availability of smart communication devices that, paradoxically, isolate family members even when gathered.
Families have become lax in fostering communication, leading individuals to prioritize following celebrities and influencers over family bonds. Many young people feel self-sufficient and uninterested in marriage or building families, unlike previous generations who dreamed of establishing homes and raising children.
Regarding the increase in divorce cases, families play a significant role in exacerbating conflicts and often fail to mediate effectively. This has led to a complacent attitude toward divorce, with some families encouraging daughters to feel self-sufficient without husbands, unaware that a woman’s value is tied to family and children, similarly for men.
She advises guardians to be considerate in marriage matters, avoid complicating the process, and facilitate it to see happiness surround their children, as there is nothing more beautiful than seeing children live in happiness and tranquility with warm, joyful homes.
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