Publish Date: 18 October 2003 - 16:52

TEHRAN, Oct. 18 (Mehr News Agency) -- The rate of divorce has tripled in the world over the past 40 years. In Iran, one out of five marriages ends in divorce -- the rate of divorce is 176 out of one thousand marriages in our country.

Why is it really so? According to the data collected by the Social Affairs Office of the Interior Ministry and the Center of Women’s Participation, one out of six marriages ends in divorce in Tehran.

 

It said that Qom and Kermanshah have the greatest rate of divorce after Tehran; Ilam, Sistan-Baluchestan, and Chaharmahal-Bakhtiyari respectively have the smallest rate of divorce.

 

Premature Marriages

 

Dr. Rezvan Naiieri, an expert in women’s affairs elaborating on the causes of divorce told the Mehr News Agency here on Saturday that men and their attitudes toward women and their social activities are the main cause of divorce; increase of women’s awareness of their rights urges them to do their best to have their rights fulfilled as soon as possible.  

       

He highlighted the point that women’s tendency for development is a positive movement in the society, but some men are opposed to the employment of their women; they do not allow their women to benefit from their social freedoms; this is a great problem, which increases the number of divorce in the society.

 

Alcoholism, infidelity, verbal abuse, emotional neglect, depression, illness, job changes, and premature marriages are the main causes of divorce, Naiieri added.

 

Dr. Gholam-Ali Liaqat, a university teacher also said that addiction, poverty, unemployment, economic problems, inexperience of the youth before marriage, and some traditional attitudes are among the main causes of divorce.      

 

He went on to say that the youth should marry while in youth, but lack of facilities causes some serious problems for their future married life.

 

So the necessary groundwork should be laid for uprooting the causes of divorce. All ways to divorce should be removed in the near future; People should be employed based on their capabilities; no discriminations should be observed, the youth should be informed enough before getting married and all stresses and the sources of potential harm should be eliminated in this concern, Liaqat added.

 

Spouses, on their parts, should ease many sources of conflict and distress: financial problems, job changes, depression, child problems, even infidelity with the passage of time.

 

They should struggle to solve the problems, change behavior, or improve communication. They can improve their married life by arranging dates for having more time together in order to improve their own life and build a good and happy life.

 

SN/IS
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MNA