NAGHAM KARAJEH

Gaza- The phenomenon of divorce is alarming in Palestine, particularly in the Gaza Strip due to the pressures faced by society. Violence against women also causes the increase in the divorce rate. In 2020, 4,558 divorce cases were reported in the West Bank and 3,448 divorce cases were reported in the Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.

Women’s rights

Stating that one of the causes for the increasing divorce rate is violence against women, lawyer Aya Al-Maghraby said that the other causes for divorce are poverty, unemployment, the blockade, and the political and economic conditions in the strip. Indicating that the Family Rights Law No. (303) of 1954 (Articles 84-102) grant women the right in filing for divorce, she talked about the rights of women after divorce as follows: “After the divorce, women have the right to take household items belonging to them. They also have the right to three months' alimony after the divorce.”

She got divorced due to domestic violence

31-year-old D.A. got divorced from her spouse due to domestic violence. “I got married when I was 19 years old. I have two daughters. I was subjected to violence by my spouse. He also kicked me out of the house at night. He was a drug addict. He sold everything at home to buy drugs. I could not bear what I was subjected to anymore for this reason I filed a divorce case,” she said.