Khaberni - A legislative proposal in Egypt, presented by a member of the House of Representatives, calling for the possibility of requesting a divorce if drug use is proven by one of the spouses, has sparked a wide wave of controversy on social media.
The MP from the Egyptian Parliament, Amira Fouad, announced her submission of a proposal that calls for adding a new clause to the personal status law allowing the request for a divorce if drug use is proven by one of the spouses.
The MP explained that the main objective of the proposal is to protect the family and ensure a safe environment for children and the wife, noting that the impact of addiction is not limited to the marital relationship but extends to domestic violence, neglect of children, and some children mimicking the behavior of drug use.
The MP suggested a strict mechanism for proving drug use based on surprise testing rather than prior testing, which may be susceptible to manipulation, indicating that experts can detect initial indicators, then summon the spouse for a sudden test, with considering the refusal to appear more than once as a strong indicator of drug use.
In statements to a local channel, she addressed domestic violence and anger management, explaining that listening to the wife and children helps in drawing an accurate picture of the family reality, emphasizing the importance of providing a space for the child's voice in such cases, as they are capable of identifying who provides them with tenderness and containment.
The proposal has aroused wide controversy as some see it as a necessary step to protect victims, especially wives and children, while others warn that it could be exploited or lead to faster family breakdown without sufficient therapeutic efforts.
The Parliament had previously discussed amendments to the personal status law focusing on the child's interest, reducing divorce cases, and enhancing family protection mechanisms.
The proposal comes within the context of broad discussions about amending the personal status law in Egypt, which is one of the most controversial laws due to its direct impact on the lives of millions of families.
Egypt suffers from high divorce rates with official statistics in recent years recording tens of thousands of divorce cases annually, with addiction being one of the main factors contributing to family breakdown, alongside domestic violence and economic problems.
The phenomenon of drug addiction is one of the major challenges in Egyptian society, where reports from the Fund for Drug Control and Treatment of Addiction showed an increase in drug use cases among youth, negatively impacting family stability.
