Iraqi Divorce Rates, Social Problems On Rise

Divorce rates have risen sharply in Iraq amid fears of violence and abuse against women, writes Ali Abel Sadah.
Women work out at a gym in Baghdad December 2, 2012. Inssam, the owner of the gym, said she had noticed an increase in the number of women working out at the gym recently, a trend which she attributed to the influx of Western television programmes into the country after 2003. Picture taken December 2, 2012. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani/ (IRAQ - Tags: SOCIETY)
Women work out at a gym in Baghdad, Dec. 2, 2012. In addition to rising divorce rates, Inssam, the owner of the gym, said she had noticed an increase in the number of women working out at the gym recently, a trend which she attributed to the influx of Western TV programs into the country after 2003. - REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani
Ali Abel Sadah
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Official statistics on divorce rates in Iraq reveal the extent of social problems that undercut marriage ties, where women are often the main victims.

In 2012, Iraqi courts recorded an increase in divorce rates. The official website of the judicial council revealed that “the number of divorce cases had reached 5,380 by September.”

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