WUNRN
BAHRAIN - HIGH DIVORCE RATE - CALL
FOR PRE-MARITAL ORIENTATION
Suad
Hamada
27 April 2010
MANAMA — Activists in Bahrain have called upon the
government to make the marriage orientation course compulsory for all couples
who want to tie the knot.
The
calls have been made after official statistics revealed that 20 per cent of
marriages in Bahrain ended in divorce.
A member of the Family Development Centre at the Bahrain Women Development Society, Dr Sumaya Al Jowder, told Khaleej Times on Monday that the course is the need of the hour to check divorce rate in Bahrain.
According
to statistics of the Ministry of Justice and Islamic Affairs, out of 5,000
marriages in Bahrain annually 1,000 ended in divorce.
“It
is a big ratio considering the small population of Bahrain,” she said,
highlighting that the course should be made compulsory just like the
pre-marriage health checkup made must for couples a few years back.
“Many
countries have succeeded in bringing down the divorce rate after implementing
such courses. Malaysia is the best example which witnessed a significant
reduction in divorce rate,” she added.
Al
Jowder said the Family Development Centre was inaugurated in October last year
with an objective to offer scientific and religious teachings on relationships
to couples and to prepare them for marriage by informing them of their rights
and responsibilities.
Until
this course is made compulsory, couples planning to tie the knot could benefit
from the centre’s services, Al Jowder added.
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