Call to establish marital counselling services

UAE officials have stressed the need for establishing marital counselling services to curb the rising incidence of divorce in the country.

"The jump in divorce rates in the UAE clearly underlines the need for more specialised family counselling offices to help married people overcome their disputes and prevent divorce," stressed Suliman bin Mohammed bin Jamouah, Member of the Sharjah Consultative Council.

He pointed out marriage counselling offices can look into the problems husbands and wives face, and help dissuade them from resorting to the courts.

He suggested a team of social workers and family counsellors be appointed at each court to be responsible for studying divorce cases and helping the litigants reconcile before the court hearing takes place.

The counsellors would have a preventive role that could eventually bring down the divorce incidence and save many homes from a possible breakdown, bin Jamouah said.

He recommended the UAE Marriage Fund provide such services as part of its family awareness programme. He also urged the fund to consider reclaiming the grant it gives UAE men to marry, in the event of divorce.

Jamal Al Bah, Director of the Marriage Fund, said the authorities are currently studying the possibility of issuing a law that authorises it to reclaim the grant from the husband, even if a year has passed before the divorce.

As for marriage counselling centres, Al Bah agreed to the pressing need for professional services that help promote family stability.

He added the fund has been holding awareness lectures for secondary school and university students on various topics related to marriage. Separate programmes are also arranged for brides and grooms, he noted.

Al Bah praised the decision to open a family counselling office issued by Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.

The office is expected to offer married people sound advice, and conduct research on the problems families in the UAE face, to get solutions.

The Marriage Fund also plans to conduct a study of the various problems. "The comprehensive study would enable us to chart out the main problems threatening marriage in the country, their extent, and measures to solve them," Al Bah said.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Family Council has been preparing to open its specialised family counselling office, to be supervised by the family development department.

The office, consisting of three units – family counselling, training and follow-up and consultancy – will receive cases referred to it from various social sectors, and set up programmes in cooperation with the authorities concerned to promote family stability.