Policy Research > Other articles > Transitions: Meeting the needs of Iranian families going through separation and divorce
Transitions
Meeting the needs of Iranian families going through separation and divorce
Families in Transition (FIT) and the Community Action Unit (CAU) conducted a study to address the issue of separation and divorce in the Iranian community. The study, entitled "Transitions: Meeting the Needs of Iranian Families Facing Separation and Divorce" (PDF file, Acrobat Reader required) was co-authored by CAU's Shokofeh Dilmaghani and FIT's Laurie Stein. The study was released in September 2002.
The divorce rate in the Iranian community is increasing dramatically. The study examined the impact of divorce on mothers, fathers and children. Many mothers stay in troubled marriages because they are not aware that they may be entitled to support payments for themselves and their children. Fathers often don't stay involved with their children. They feel so personally defeated that it is often easier for them to leave everything behind.
The impact of divorce on Iranian children is particularly acute. In general, Iranian culture doesn't encourage children to talk about their emotions and, as a result, Iranian children have no outlet to discuss their emotions and feel very isolated. The children's feelings of guilt, self-blame and sadness are intensified by the culture's strong belief that divorce is unacceptable.
The study made a number of recommendations, such as the need for educational programming to raise awareness of separation and divorce issues, counselling services to address the cultural values of the Iranian community and the need to address systemic barriers such as location, language and culture.
This project was made possible through a grant from the Family Service Toronto Innovation Fund.
