The Consequences of Divorce on Women: An Exploratory Study of Divorced Women Problems in Jordan

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ABSTRACT This study examined the most prominent social, psychological, economic, and physiological problems of divorced women in Jordan in light of some variables, such as monthly income, age, education level, and family size. The sample of the study consisted of 219 participants that was randomly chosen. A questionnaire, including 30 items distributed on 4 domains, was used to collect data. The findings of the study revealed that the foremost challenges that the divorced women face are (i) social problems that are represented in the society’s inferior and cruel look at woman, the continuous monitoring, and surveillance from others and the constant exposure of annoyance that reinforces woman’s lack of self-confidence (ii) economic problems represented by women’s suffering from poverty and the low income that is insufficient to satisfy their children’s needs and which made them to be economically deprived as (58.7%) of them live with a monthly income of 700 US dollars or less (iii) psychological and physiological problems were also considered a major problem that divorced women face in Jordan. Besides, the study found statistically significant differences in all domains except the social domain of those women who have high-income, higher-education, and who are old who were found to suffer less. There were no significant differences that can be attributed to the family size. As such, it is necessary to develop the role of labor institution specialists and social workers to pay much attention to divorced women who suffer from silent persecution. The study recommends holding rehabilitation programs for divorced women to help them overcome their crisis resulting from divorce and deal with poverty of divorced women in a way that guarantees for them and their children a decent life. Moreover, they should develop awareness programs to preserve the marital life of the family in order to confront the escalating divorce cases. The government can establish social institutions that are highly qualified and trained in social work in the familial field and activate the social and familial service.