Dialogue Organized by the Doha International Family Institute (DIFI). Topic: As They Raised Me From Childhood: Specialized Programs to Better Parenting
The Doha International Family Institute, a member of Qatar Foundation, has launched a campaign entitled “You are eligible for it” calling for the mandatory implementation of premarital programs, based on studies on global and regional best practices related to assessing the positive impact of these programs. Programs and a critical reading of the official statistics on divorce rates in the State of Qatar and what the programmatic solutions are.
In an event held by the DIFI at the (Education City Student Center) Forum, Dr. Sharifa Noman Al-Emadi, Executive Director of the DIFI, said: “The compulsory nature of these programs is one of the recommendations of the Doha International Family Institute to ensure a happier and more stable married life for Qatari youth.”
During the launch ceremony of the campaign, an interactive discussion session was held that included interventions from the attendees, including the institute’s partners, who explained the importance of supporting this campaign. The discussions dealt with successful models from different countries in establishing stable marriages. The Malaysian experience in this field was highlighted, which devised programs for those about to get married, followed by the establishment of specialized centers that offer courses in this field and grant a “marriage license”, which contributed to a significant decline in divorce rates.
According to official statistics issued by the Planning and Statistics Authority, the concentration of divorce rates in Qatari society is during the first years of marriage. For example, 42.1% of divorces occur within less than a year of marriage, and the percentage is 58.2% within less than one to 4 years combined, while for example, the percentage is limited to 8% during the period from 5 to 9 years of marriage, which are normal rates compared to global and regional statistics.
To determine the causes of the early disintegration of the institution of marriage, the Doha International Family Institute conducted a survey, in cooperation with the League of Arab States, on assessing marital relations during the first five years of marriage in the Arab world, in which 19 Arab countries participated, and its results showed that among the reasons for the early disintegration of the institution of marriage is incompatibility. Including individual factors, economic challenges, interference of the parents of the spouses, and other reasons.
The official video of the campaign
The Doha International Family Institute (DIFI) has launched the OSRA research grant in its sixth cycle which is a research grant on Arab families and family policy related issues.
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