Although a marital life has multiple aspects, there are certain clear and transparent guidelines which are conveniently ignored by many new generation women. A first-of-its kind education program to acquaint the newly married couples with various aspects and skills of marital life is now in the cards. Dr. Salma Mhrous Sebieh who has done a doctorate in marital and family therapy and is a member of the Society for Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the brain behind the program designed to achieve the needs for the new generation. “This education program has several angles such as: responsibilities of marriage, Islamic point of view on marital relations, ways to fulfill husbands' needs, the art of marital relations, household skills, the art of dialogue between spouses, and the art of dealing with marital disputes,” said Sebieh. All these aspects, she said, are very important and required for the new generation females who wish to live a perfect life. They have an added significance, she added, since the new generation men are well-educated and look for a wife with special qualities such as beauty, morals, education and civilized behavior. Globalization and new communication methods are playing very important role in enhancing the expectations of young Saudi men from their would-be wives. They want them to be civilized and modern. According to Sebieh, wives must know their husbands' personal likes and dislikes. It is more needed in Saudi society because marriages here are arranged by families and the bride and the groom normally don't even know and see each other before marriage, she said. The program targets both would-be couples and those who want to start a new life after discords in their marital life. “Ours is not an open society; there still are some gaps between a mother and her daughters. This program will surely help girls to learn the aspects of marital life openly without being shy on certain issues,” said Salha Al-Harbi, a Saudi nursing student in King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah. Dr. Muhammad Al-Hamed, head of Psychology Department at Bakhsh Hospital, stressed on the importance of establishing specialized clinics to educate different aspects of marriage to new couples. “Most of the young Saudi females get information about marriage, especially sexual relations from websites, TV programs, and friends. This, some times, has negative effects,” he warned.
