http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=MzM2NTA3ODA=
One-third of women in Kuwait are domestic abuse victims Published Date: January 10, 2011 By Hussain Al-Qatari, Staff Writer KUWAIT: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) recently revealed that 35 percent of women in Kuwait have reported being subjected to domestic abuse. This stunning finding came in a study released by the Ministry of Justice, conducted by Appeal Court counselor Dr Adel Al-Failakawi. The study further revealed that Kuwait saw a total of 5,192 divorce cases in 2010, an increase of 138 on the previous year's total. Dr Al-Failakawi also used MoJ statistics for the ten years between 1995 and 2005 to work out the average period taken by unhappy couples to decide on divorce, finding that 39 percent of divorces occur after one year of marriage, while a further 28 percent occur before the couple has even reached the first wedding anniversary. Family counselor Khaled Al-Mohammadi told the Kuwait Times that most divorces occur because of lack of communication: "Couples don't know how to communicate with one another," he said. "They get married because they feel obliged to find a spouse. When it comes to fulfilling their responsibilities at home, they don't know how to speak to one another, so their marriage falls apart. Worries around finance are another major factor in the equation, Al-Mohammadi continued: "In most cases, wives complain that their husbands are not able to support the family financially with enough money. Financial instability, caused by young men's reckless financial behavior and lack of awareness on how to manage their finances, causes domestic instability. The new MoJ report states that domestic abuse is one of the main reasons for divorce, with 30 percent of divorce cases citing domestic abuse as the reason. Kuwait University psychology professor Adnan Al-Shatti said in a report published by KUNA that local patriarchal traditions mean that domestic violence is widespread in the country. "Men are encouraged from an early age to be macho, and it is a widespread misconception that hitting women proves one's masculinity. It is a problem that's neglected, and it only encourages men to use violence at home even more. Individuals who practice violence against their wives, siblings and children in most cases need therapy," he said. Dr Al-Failakawi also noted that the number of domestic violence cases being reported is increasing, with a very small number of these concerning violence perpetrated by parents against children. Most cases of domestic violence, however, are filed by wives against their husbands. The MoJ intends to open a department shortly dealing specifically with domestic issues in an attempt to reduce the number of divorces in the country. The new department, whose roster of staff will include social workers, family consultants, psychiatrists, judges and eminent religious figures, will focus on raising public awareness of the related issues. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Post message: [email protected] Subscribe : [email protected] Unsubscribe : [email protected] List owner : [email protected] Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
