Education mismatch 'key factor in divorce'

SHARJAH // Highly educated Emirati women who marry less well-educated men are more likely to divorce than those on an equal intellectual footing, preliminary results of a study suggest.

The study by Fakir al Gharaibeh, an assistant professor of sociology at Sharjah University - titled Reasons for Divorce and its Impact on Women and Children in the UAE - is surveying 2,000 Emirati women across the country.Final results are to be published in September.

"So far, the study shows that women who are divorced had higher education levels than their husbands," Mr al Gharaibeh said. "This may reflect that an educated woman is more independent, and knows her rights and responsibilities."

Almost a quarter of all male Emiratis in grade 10 failed to complete the academic year that ended in 2010 in public schools, according to the Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai. Only 11 per cent of female Emiratis failed to complete the same year.

A report by an Abu Dhabi-based research company found that 95 per cent of young Emirati women have completed secondary education or higher. The report, due to be released next week, also found that greater numbers of women across the GCC were receiving education to a higher level.

Emirati couples commonly had different levels of education, but not everyone believed that was a reason for divorce.

"In reality, there are rarely two couples with equal degrees," said Widad Samawi, the executive director of Al Tawasel Centre for Training and Consultancy and co-organiser of the Abu Dhabi Campaign for Social Cohesion, which aims to encourage more young Emiratis to wed.

"The greatest disaster is a lack of communication and understanding. A little spark and they ask for divorce because nobody wants to compromise."

Having a higher degree was not always an obstacle for a woman hoping to marry: the outcome would be positive if other duties such as time, marriage, and parental responsibilities were taken into consideration, she said.

However, Ms Samawi said: "Some men in the Middle East still like to have the upper hand and don't like women to be better than them in certain aspects - monetary and societal aspects, for example - because they want total leadership."

Maryam, an Emirati khataba,matchmaker, who declined to give her full name, said husbands were scarce in the marriage market, and therefore women tended to settle for less.

"A lot of families now would accept a man with less education than a woman, because it's what is mostly available in the market," she said. "If he has culture, character, and a job, then a degree doesn't matter."

One young Emirati woman agreed that marrying a breadwinner was more important than finding someone with a similar degree of education. "I would want my husband to have a job and be the provider for the house, regardless of his education level or even salary," said Muna al Shamsi, 25. "Job security is essential."

Dr Fatima Al Sayegh, a professor of culture and heritage at UAE University, said: "When a woman pursues higher education, there is a chance of her getting a better job than her husband.

"Some men still prefer a woman with less education because they think she will be obedient. However, higher education is only one factor that causes problems, not the main one," she said, adding that women tended to mature more quickly than men.

When Sultan Saeed al Darmaki married, he had only a higher diploma while his wife had her bachelor's degree. "It worked out fine for both of us because we are both working professionals who can understand each other when we talk," Mr al Darmaki said.

He obtained his bachelor's degree a year after his marriage. "My wife is planning to do her MBA, and I am more than happy to support her," he said.

Alia al Shamlan, 20, hopes to find a husband with similar educational standards to hers, or higher.

"I do not think that the person's degree would reflect his character, but it does reflect his ambition," she said. "Personally, I would prefer to marry a person who is as ambitious as I am."

* This article was amended on May 22 to correct an error in attribution. Al Tawasel Centre for Training and Consultancy did not find that 95 per cent of young Emirati women have completed secondary education or higher. The research was completed by an Abu Dhabi-based research company who cannot be named yet because their report is embargoed until May 25.