DOHA: Many youngsters in Qatar are not educated about married life, because families fail to pass over this knowledge to their young members, a seminar here was told.
To address this issue, there is a need to introduce courses about marriage and family relations in high schools and universities in Qatar, says Turfa Al Naimi, chairwoman of the development programme at the Family Consultation Centre.
Speaking at a conference organised by the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, Al Naimi said that many young people who want to get married need support and consultation. She said one of the problems in the current family setup is that families don’t act as a ‘unit’.
“There is a culture of lack of attachment among family members, which is why families are not a strong unit,” Al Naimi said, adding that the society is not preparing young men and women on how to live a married life.
There is also an increasing dependence on house-maids, which Al Naimi says is a serious problems Qatari families are struggling with.
Since 2009, one third of the divorces among Qataris have taken place on the very first day of marriage. The general strategy of the Family Affairs Council is to reduce the divorce rate by 15 percent, and part of the council’s responsibility is to create awareness.
The rate of divorce is also affecting the Qatari population and national policies in several ways.
“The issue of marriage affects population policies and plans of the community,” Hamad bin Mohammad Feheed Al Hajri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Family Affairs, said.
The only way to reduce rate of late marriages is by focusing on young minds so that we can find early solutions.
“There is also a need to reduce the rate of late marriages,” Al Hajri said.
The tradition of ‘maher’ (money given by the groom to the bride) has also been a matter of serious concern to many young men who want to get married.
“Because of the rapid growth of population, high rate of expatriate workers and the economic boom is affecting the composition of the population,” Dr Jamal Abdullah Al Yafae said.
He said Qatari families comprise of some 27 percent of the total population.
“Many studies have raised the issue of imbalance in Qatari population compared to expatriates and one of the causes is late marriage among Qataris, which is hindering our population growth,” Al Yafae said.
The Peninsula
