In the highest monthly outcome ever, Iraq recorded the highest rate of divorce cases in November 2020, with a total of 8,245 divorce cases in 15 Iraqi governorates, with the exception of the cities of the Kurdistan region (the north of the country), according to a document issued by the Iraqi judiciary published by the Iraqi media .

The capital, Baghdad, won the largest share with nearly 3,000 divorces, while Maysan Governorate (southeast of the country) came at the bottom of the list, registering only 100 divorce cases during the past month, and it is noteworthy that last month had recorded an increase of more than 3 thousand divorces from January / Last January, when the number of divorces reached 5,150 cases, to raise the alarm of organizations and experts.

There are many reasons

Experts and specialists attribute many reasons that led to the explosion of the numbers of divorce cases recently, as the former representative in the Iraqi parliament, Intisar al-Gharabawi, indicates that the number of divorces in Iraq last month constituted the highest rate of divorce in the history of the country.

Al-Gharabawi, who is currently working as a government advisor, said in her interview with Al-Jazeera Net that there are many reasons behind this, perhaps the most important of which is the current social and economic situation, indicating that the economic crisis, which the country has been witnessing for months, has contributed significantly to the increase in these numbers, in addition to the fact that the government is still Deficient in dealing with marriage outside the legal age.

MP Qusay Abbas: The rise in divorce cases for a number of reasons, foremost among which is the deteriorating economic situation and widespread unemployment (Al-Jazeera)

This is supported by the deputy in the Human Rights Committee, Qusay Abbas, who believes that the large increase in the number of divorce cases is due to a number of reasons, foremost among which are the deteriorating economic situation and widespread unemployment, as well as social causes and customs alien to society.

This contributed to the emergence of family problems and social disintegration for some segments of society, as he put it.

The role of the legislative branch

Abbas added to Al-Jazeera Net that Parliament has an important role in limiting this phenomenon by enacting laws or other amendments.

However, due to the intersection of opinions of political blocs sometimes on some paragraphs and texts of these laws, and their contradiction with religious texts, customs and social values, this greatly impeded the enactment of these laws, according to him.

Member of the Commission for Human Rights, Faten Al-Halfi: The unequal age between spouses and the marriage of minors is among the reasons for divorce (communication sites)

For her part, Faten Al-Halfi, a member of the Commission for Human Rights (a governmental institution), confirms that last year witnessed the registration of 10 divorce cases per hour, while last month the numbers reached 62 divorces per hour, at a rate of 375 cases per day.

In her interview with a media outlet, Al-Halfi indicated that the economic situation has greatly affected the increase in divorce cases, especially after the outbreak of the Coronavirus, as well as reasons related to the unequal age between spouses and the marriage of minors, indicating that most judges make great efforts to dissuade those who are about to divorce through Postponing trials or going to the social worker in the courts.

Lawyer and feminist activist Rasha Wehb: The stay of husbands in their homes due to Corona has increased the problems leading to divorce (Al-Jazeera)

The lawyer and feminist activist, Rasha Wehb, who said in her interview with Al-Jazeera Net, goes in this direction that the most important reason for the increase in divorce cases is due to the Corona virus and the state of closures and curfews, which the country witnessed during the past months, which led husbands to stay in their homes, and thus increase the problems leading to divorce. in the end.

For her part, the journalist Shatha Alwan believes that the reasons vary between economic and social.

As the economic crises have become a part of the lives of Iraqis for years, in addition to the fact that social conditions, demographic change and displacement are all causes that led to a change in the perception of marriage, and thus an increase in divorce cases.

Means of communication

Alwan commented in her interview with Al-Jazeera Net that changing cultural and societal natures and the insertion of exotic and western cultures had a great role, as the media, through the dubbed series, movies, etc. Iraqi, as she put it.

Alwan added that social networking sites and their bad use are prominent in the problem of divorce through the transformation of the customs of Iraqis, as the spread of women's beauty clinics, which she described as (beauty factories), led to the man comparing his wife with others in society, and thus divorce cases increased. ;

The husband's inability to fulfill the wife's requirements, according to Alwan.

Returning to the activist Rasha Wehb, where she believes that social media and the spread of the phenomenon of women bloggers, who are called (fashionistas or models), and their openness in society, have led some women to rebel against their husbands without realizing what this situation is and what it causes in the disintegration of the family.

Revealing a recent dangerous social phenomenon, represented by groups of women through social media encouraging women to divorce and get out of the restrictions of marriage and its responsibilities, according to Wahb.

Legal expert Ali Al-Tamimi: The Iraqi government and legislator should enact laws that work to raise the cultural level of married couples and their families (Al-Jazeera)

The role of law

For his part, legal expert Ali Al-Tamimi believes that in 1985 the Iraqi legislator issued Instructions No. (4), which gave a wide space for the social researcher to discourage those who are about to divorce.

However, after 2003 the role of the social researcher is no longer useful.

Because of the increase in cases.

Al-Tamimi, in his speech to Al-Jazeera Net, indicated that the instructions of the Supreme Judicial Council (Rules for Organizing Social Research) No. (1) for the year 2008 also did not limit divorce except by a small part, considering that the problem is not legal, and that the judiciary does not have the necessary tools to solve the problem of divorce, Which are related to security, economic and social reasons.

Regarding the necessary solutions, Al-Tamimi comments that the Iraqi government and legislator should enact laws that work to raise the cultural level of married couples and their families, and encourage interest in the family by providing special social clubs that encourage family bonding and its importance in religious and social terms, and clarify the extent of the damage caused by divorce, especially with regard to children. , According to him.

As for Wahb, she adds to Al-Tamimi’s view that marriages outside the framework of the law are very common, and often the marriage of minors takes place with a legal contract (with the sheikhs or the mullahs), then after years the married people resort to confirming their marriage with the courts, and then divorce takes place, noting that the judiciary and the courts are Under the status quo at the time.

Thus, the state bears full responsibility for proposing resorting to awareness-raising, and the creation of compulsory training courses for those intending to marry, in addition to the need to legislate and introduce laws to deter and hold accountable those who marry underage children.