Spinsterhood or “delayed marriages for young people” are among the most widely circulated topics in the Arab world. Not only is it controversial, but its identification varies from country to country. Is it still flawed that women are going through it? Or a decision that gives them freedom for different priorities?
In Arab States
The age range of Spinsterhood varies from place to place, while some societies consider single girls who passed their 20s as a spinsters, others consider the age of 30 as an age range for spinsters.
Lebanon was ranked the highest in the Arab world at 85%. The number of unmarried girls in the United Arab Emirates was higher than 75%. These numbers are results of the high costs of marriage, in addition to preventing women from marrying non-nationals, while men are entitled to marry foreigners. This percentage in Saudi Arabia and Jordan has reached nearly 45%, due to the extraordinary fees of marriage in the midst of economic crises and unemployment. Also, women’s participation in public life and political activities had reached 30% in Yemen.
The Spinsterhood problem
Unfortunately, we still see some women in our societies as puppets of men. It is considered unfair to call a woman a spinster. If used, the word should be related to both men and women. And if the word brings shame to a man, then it also brings shame to a woman. Not every single adult woman is useless. She might have wanted to discover more about herself and have the total right to wait and choose the right man. A single woman might want to settle in her career before founding a family.
What are your comments on the subject of Spinsterhood in the Arab States? Do you really consider it as a problem in our society?
