Countries: Senegal
Variables: ATDW-PRACTICE-1

“Women and men have equal rights to petition for divorce in countries such as Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Mozambique, and Senegal” (14). “Some countries also have a prescribed time limit that a woman must respect before contracting another marriage. For instance, in countries such as Côte d’Ivoire and the Democratic Republic of Congo, a woman can only remarry 300 days after divorce or death of the husband. In the case of DRC, this delay expires in the event the woman gives birth during the 300 days or the woman can approach the court to lift this requirement. Senegal has a similar provision where a woman can only remarry 300 days after...more

Countries: Burundi
Variables: ATDW-PRACTICE-1

“Women and men have equal rights to petition for divorce in countries such as Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Mozambique, and Senegal” (14). “Article 103 of the Code of Persons and Family provides that nobody can contract a second marriage without the annulment or dissolution of the first one, essentially prohibiting polygamy. Women and men have the same rights to initiate divorce, either by a joint request from the spouses or by one of the spouses according to a determined cause” (39).

Countries: Tanzania
Variables: ATDW-PRACTICE-1, ATDW-LAW-1

“Tanzania has historically enjoyed progressive family laws. The Law of Marriage Act, enacted in 1971,was the first piece of legislation in Commonwealth Africa to recognise a married woman's right to “acquire, hold and dispose of property”. The Act also dictates that when determining division of matrimonial property upon divorce, a court must consider each spouse’s contribution to the household. Unfortunately, courts have interpreted this provision to be limited to financial contribution, in spite of legal precedent recognising unpaid domestic labour and childcare as contributions to the household. This interpretation leaves women who are financially weaker than their spouses and burdened by unpaid labour vulnerable to financial destitution upon divorce” (79).more

Countries: South Sudan
Variables: ATDW-PRACTICE-1

“The legal system is mostly corrupt. The prolonged delays and additional fees of 300,000 SSP (equivalent to USD. 2,303) in the name of legal fees demanded during the legal process have frustrated me. This has affected me emotionally and created an impossible financial burden, which impedes my ability to fulfil the court’s requirements. The divorce process is still ongoing, but I wonder if I will ever get justice as I do not have the money to pay people to navigate the system” (76).

Countries: Malawi
Variables: ATDW-PRACTICE-1

“The Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations Act 2015 consolidated previously fragmented legal regimes and advanced progressive legal reform. The Act recognises and regulates civil marriages, customary marriages, religious marriages and marriage by reputation or permanent cohabitation, granting all unions equal legal status. The recognition of marriage by reputation or permanent cohabitation is of special import, and will protect many vulnerable women who do not have the protection of a formally concluded marriage. Recognition of marriage by repute, where a couple may be considered married without formally registering their relation, is not automatic and requires a declaration by a court which must consider a number of factors, including the length of...more

Countries: Egypt
Variables: ATDW-PRACTICE-1, ATDW-LAW-1

“However, many countries have discriminatory provisions related to divorce by requiring a case to fulfil certain conditions before a woman may request a divorce, which is not the case for men. Divorce laws in Sudan are discriminatory in that a woman cannot obtain a judgment of divorce in the same way as a man. Catholics in the country may divorce in instances of regular abuse and mistreatment, while Protestants and Coptic Christians may only divorce in cases of adultery. In Algeria, women can request a divorce only in cases of abandonment, failure to pay alimony or violation of the marriage contract. In the event a woman seeks a no-fault divorce...more

Countries: Cote D'Ivoire
Variables: ATDW-PRACTICE-1

“Some countries also have a prescribed time limit that a woman must respect before contracting another marriage. For instance, in countries such as Côte d’Ivoire and the Democratic Republic of Congo, a woman can only remarry 300 days after divorce or death of the husband. In the case of DRC, this delay expires in the event the woman gives birth during the 300 days or the woman can approach the court to lift this requirement. Senegal has a similar provision where a woman can only remarry 300 days after the dissolution of the first marriage, with the delay being 3 months when there is a divorce or annulment. Such provisions...more

Countries: Angola
Variables: ATDW-PRACTICE-1

“Women and men have equal rights to petition for divorce in countries such as Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Mozambique, and Senegal” (14). “Article 78 of the Family Code allows any party, either the wife or the husband, to petition for a divorce.66 In the instance of divorce, under Articles 127 and 131 of the Family Code, both parents have equal responsibilities toward the child and if the child is in the custody of the mother, the father also has to provide financial support” (34).

Countries: Egypt
Variables: ATDW-PRACTICE-1

"...On the other side [of studying working women in Egypt], in much smaller numbers, were women whose marriages hadn’t worked out — they were divorcees working to support themselves and often their kids as well. They were on their own, but they weren’t happy about it. Many had suffered traumatic marriages and were struggling to stay afloat economically..." (para 21).

Countries: Papua New Guinea
Variables: MARR-PRACTICE-5, ATDW-PRACTICE-1

"Some husbands in PNG will pay a “bride price” to a wife’s family when they get married — meaning some victims won’t leave their abuser because they’ve been “paid for”. Lorena says police or magistrates will tell victims to return to their abuser, saying a bride price has been paid" (Para 48-49).

Countries: Saudi Arabia
Variables: ATDW-PRACTICE-1

"The (Daam) Association for the Care of Widows and Divorced Women was established in the Makkah Province under license number 1049. It aims to provide integrated services for this segment of society. The Association seeks to meet their needs, including: Providing psychological, legal, and social counseling. Providing suitable housing. Providing financial and in-kind support. The Association's role is not limited to providing immediate support but extends to empowering widows and divorced women through: Qualifying them with marketable skills.Providing training and professional development opportunities. Cooperating with relevant sectors to employ them" (para 103). This paragraph describes a state-licensed association that provides psychological, legal, housing, and financial support for widows and divorced...more

Countries: Maldives
Variables: ATDW-PRACTICE-1

"There is a lack of awareness on the need and benefit of establishing prenuptial agreements before marriage, especially in the islands. As stated in the paragraph 141 of the state report, the government has failed to raise awareness on the matter, especially in the island communities. Discussions with young women for this report revealed that there is a serious lack of understanding among girls on the benefits of such an agreement. The review of the existing pre-marital training program, could provide an avenue to increase awareness on prenuptial agreements and other laws and regulations on protecting women’s rights, especially within a marriage and a family" (16).

Countries: Indonesia
Variables: ATDW-PRACTICE-1

"Adultery charges must be based on police reports lodged by a spouse, parents or children" (par. 22).

Countries: Mauritania
Variables: ATDW-PRACTICE-1

"Ms. Jeilaniy said she had divorced because her husband was too jealous, sometimes even refusing to let her go out. She had to wait three months to finalize the divorce and have her divorce party, an interval that is required to ensure that the woman is not pregnant. If she is, the couple usually waits until the child’s birth" (para 24).

Countries: United Kingdom
Variables: ATDW-PRACTICE-1

"Critics say the legislation is uncertain and unpredictable as it has been developed by case law, allowing judges to use their discretion to assess each case and make different awards. Spouses are therefore often forced to fund costly legal battles due to a lack of clear guidance on how wealth should be divided" (par. 3). "The English legal system tends to split the combined wealth of divorcing spouses equally even if one partner is the breadwinner in contrast to many other European countries. As a result, London has become a magnet for wealthy couples seeking a divorce because of the generosity of financial awards given to ex-wives" (par. 8-9). "Lawyers...more