Poor communication cause for rift
“In today’s world, infidelity caused by social media interactions has also led to a rise in divorce cases in Oman, where women are now looking for equal life partnerships.”
Al Mukhaini opined that the reasons for divorce differ for each couple but denial of parity in marriage partnership or a shift in the gender role expectations are among the other reasons.
Government data also show that more women in Oman are now seeking divorce compared with 10 years ago with 67 percent of all divorces being initiated by women in 2021.
Al Mukhaini said: “Studies have shown that among the other causes of divorce include poor communication and conflict resolution skills, lack of quality time spent together, and a delay or reluctance in seeking
A1marriage counselling.” The ministry official said there is “a need to bring down the number of divorce cases in the Sultanate of Oman and it would be possible only if efforts are made at all levels to safeguard family life.”
Al Mukhaini also revealed that the statistics indicate that the divorce in Oman happens mostly within the first four years of marriage.
He said: “When divorce happens in the early years of marriage the grounds for divorce were found to be weak. Such marital discords could have been resolved through dialogues, family mediation and the involvement of counsellors.”
In her remarks to Times of Oman, a Muscat-based marriage counsellor said: “Everyone agrees that there is a need to find solutions but that can only happen if we understand the reasons for the rise of divorce cases. Divorce cases are a result of rapid social change that we are witnessing in all aspects of life. The pace of development has brought key changes to today’s lifestyle. More women work, leave the family home, and are financially independent creating a gap at times between the husband and wife’s understanding.”
She added: “Culture plays an important role in forming young people’s impressions of marriage. For instance, most movies and soap operas on TV highlight how beautiful and fun it is to be in a relationship, creating a vivid image in young people’s minds that it is easy to be married. They fail to consider that one of the biggest challenges of marriage is to understand and support each other and that this is a two-way process.”