41 cases of divorce daily in Tunisia

Some 14,982 cases of divorce were recorded in Tunisia between 2014 and 2015 which on average amounts to 41 cases a day, according to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Justice.

Divorce at the request of one of the spouses constituted the highest number of marriage breakups with 7,256 cases recorded, whereas in 6,241 cases the application for divorce was by mutual consent, and divorce requests as a result of assault amounted to 1,485 cases.

According to the same source, among the 14,982 divorce cases recorded, 9,166 were initiated by the husbands whereas 5,817 were triggered by the wives.

The same was true for cases brought before the courts, with 848 cases initiated by the husband compared with 637 cases of divorce requested by the wives, as well as divorce requested by one of the partners in which 4,641 were requested by the husbands compared with 2,615 initiated by the wives.

Read: 16,000 yearly abortions in Tunisia, the majority after rape

The cases of why divorce happens in Tunisia are “diverse and complicated” according to sociologist Taeib Taouili.

Assabah newspaper quoted Taouili saying the lack of sex education is a driving factor in why some marriages don’t work out.

In addition to this, psychological and social non-preparation for daily life is also a driving factor. One of the spouses adapts badly to the discovery of behaviours that they did not know in their partner which often comes about after not getting to know their potential partner enough before agreeing to the marriage.

The rise in use of social networking sites has also provoked many cases of divorce according to the sociologist who explains how spouses take refuge in “their virtual families” in which other relationships are established perceived as “alternatives” in the event of a conflict between partners.

Taouili also criticised the harmful interference of families of spouses which can often aggravate marital conflicts.

The consequences are straining for the couple and can prove “devastating” for a family in which children are present, torn between their parents or witnessing scenes of violence.