Divorced women subjected to harsh humiliating conditions in Lebanon

The newspaper Al Hayat in its issue published today shed light on the difficulties faced by divorced women in Lebanon, pointing out that despite social changes and general openness of the society, divorced women are still exposed to harsh and humiliating conditions. The newspaper stated that women returning to their parents’ home in most cases are re-subjected to the authority of the father and the brother after escaping the patriarchy of the husband. Consequently, divorced women do not find the needed supportive environment to assist her to reintegrate life. Al Hayat went on to indicate that whereas the specific conditions of divorced women vary according to economic and social factors, their suffering has a lot in common. The newspaper article added that after divorce, women come to realize that what was expected from them was never to complain and always to bear their husband’s mistakes, in order to preserve the family, and to never fail in carrying out their household duties and responsibilities. In comparison judgment towards divorced man is much lighter than that, the article noted. The newspaper interviewed ‘Sahar’ a divorced woman after years of physical and psychological violence, noted that society concocted untruthful rumors about her whilst throwing on her the responsibility for domestic violence to which she was subjected. Another woman asserted that after divorce, women have to accept to totally relinquish their independence. (Al Hayat, January 26, 2017)