Wives in Limbo Seek Court Help

RIYADH, 28 February 2006 — Consider it a Saudi version of a pre-nuptial agreement. More and more often, Saudi women are establishing their legal rights to file for divorce prior to tying the knot. What is even stranger is the reason behind it, which is unusual in Saudi society. We are living in a society that does not discuss such things, let alone ask for them, Al-Riyadh reported.

A marriage contract that includes a clause or clauses setting out circumstances under which a woman can divorce her husband is something new. If it is signed and witnessed before the marriage, both parties are bound by it and it gives the woman a right to divorce her husband if she chooses. At present many women have been left by their husbands — not divorced but simply deserted. In such cases, the woman is theoretically still married but in fact she is not. She is in a kind of limbo and many women find themselves in this limbo for many years.

Very interesting staff-written piece in the Arab News! It notes that Saudi women who are abandoned by their husbands–not divorced, simply abandoned–are truly up the creek. Women who are abused by their husbands often have problems getting a divorce as courts frequently insist on witnesses–something not common in domestic violence.

The article offers several ideas, including pre-nuptual agreements, to help women protect themselves against unexpected dangers from their husbands. Read the whole thing.