n Breaks down traditional family structure There is an increasingly worrying trend in Saudi Arabia of mostly young people getting divorces, leaving behind many unemployed single mothers heading households and small children with no fathers and proper financial support. In a study conducted by Salman Bin Muhammad Al-Amri, a researcher, as reported in a local newspaper, there were an astonishing 500,000 divorces in the Kingdom over the last 19 years. Let's just say, conservatively speaking, that each couple had two children, then that leaves one million children affected by the trauma of their mother and father breaking up and facing some kind of financial hardship. Granted, not all families will have children, or be poor or so severely affected they cannot become productive members of society, but the statistics are surely cause for worry. There have been numerous studies pointing to the connection between divorce, crime, drug abuse and other social ailments. The researcher rightly points out those special counseling needs to be provided by the Shariah courts for couples. This is especially important because the divorces are taking place largely among young people. The study found that around half of men who divorced their wives were aged between 24 and 28 when they got married, while 18 percent were 18 to 23 years old. It was also recommended that a special fund be set up to help women divorcees get education and training. It suggests skills such as embroidery, typing, husbandry, secretarial work, administration and others. But there is surely more than can be done for these women to gain better education and higher-paying jobs. The study also called for measures to protect and care for the children, including more nurseries and kindergartens. What is most welcome now is that the ministries of justice and social affairs are planning to launch a program to mediate family disputes, as part of services attached to the courts. This is obviously aimed at preventing the courts from being overburdened with domestic cases, but also serves the purpose of ensuring that families stay together. The Ministry of Justice estimates that 60 percent of the cases in courts are related to family disputes. These measures are needed urgently. A breakdown in the structure of the family will inevitably lead to a collapse of society. This country cannot afford this, especially with the myriad other problems it faces. __
