JUKZN Social/Marital Department Report 2021

SOCIAL/MARITAL DEPARTMENT

 (1^st November 2020 to 31^st October 2021)

 SOCIAL/MARITAL DEPARTMENT

• Department is currently manned by 4 staff members who respond to numerous calls/emails and office visits daily.
• Daily queries received from wives/husbands seeking advice on their social/marital problems.
• In October 2020 a new female counsellor (qualified Psychologist), joined the Social Dept on a part time basis.
• In September 2021, our Full Time social worker officially retired from the Social Dept.
• In October 2021, Ml Yusuf Asmal joined the department to assist with the backlog of cases since the departure of Sister Faziela
• During the reporting period the department attended to:

 Marital Department

• A total of +/-118 new marital cases were handled during the reporting period
• Over 95% of applications were made by females.
• Small % of husbands also made applications seeking advice on their marital discords.
• Husbands usually come through when they:
  1. Want to issue Talaaq OR
  2. Have already issued a Talaaq and want clarification
• +/-1000 office consultations were conducted, where mediation and counselling was provided (individually/jointly).
• Applications were followed through by engaging with the husband and arranging mediation as far as possible.
• Cases on average ran from between One to Six months.

ANALYSIS OF CASES

2018 to 2021

FASKH APPLICATIONS

• Department has recognised the need to expedite cases, where females are in a broken marriage.
• To avoid wives becoming despondent, cases are referred to the Judicial Committee once all avenues of reconciliation has been exhausted and/or husband refuses to issue Talaaq.
• This process has been streamlined over that last 12 months with cases being expedited to the Judicial committee, when a breakdown in the marriage is apparent.
• If grounds for annulment are found, then case is approved for a formal Judicial Hearing.

CONTRIBUTORS TO MARITAL BREAKDOWN

From the caseload handled during the reporting period, an analysis was done to establish the main factor/s that contributed to the breakdown of marriages. The following was found:

Other contributing factors to marital breakdown are:

• Excessive use of social media
• Pornography
• Spouses failing in their responsibilities towards each other
• Financial exploitation of wives

 COUNSELLING SERVICES

Our female counsellors provide therapy and counselling on an ongoing basis to our clients who require this service as highlighted below:

Type of Traffic

• Predominantly couple/marital difficulties/post-divorce or separation adjustment
• Crisis Walk-ins
• Abuse – Physical, verbal, emotional, neglect
• Psychopathology – depression, anxiety, personality disorders
• Grief and loss (illness, unemployment) particularly post Covid-19
• Financial/Food insecurity
• Parenting predicaments
• Youth – peer pressure/ appearance and identity
• Covid-19/ Riots trauma counselling
• Disclosure-adult survivors of childhood molestation/bullying

Platforms and Contact

Platforms:

• Largely by appointment
• Preferred method – Face to face counselling
• Telephonic where necessary (women in iddat/other urgent situations)
• Zoom consult – non local parties

Contact type:

• Individual counselling
• Mediation
• Couples counselling
• Judicial Hearings
• Referrals when required

Facts and Figures

Interventions and Forward Planning

• Trauma work
• Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
• Couples counselling

Forward planning

• Evaluations from clients and annual stats suggest that our current interventions are working well.
• Further training of all counselling consultants on specific methods outlined above
• Desperate gap in intervention available to males (substantial assistance available for females) – Men don’t easily attend counselling…look at building skills/intervention into ‘’acceptable male’’ activities…sports/trails/team building….
• Supporters/ field workers need support – strongly consider employee wellness strategies to decrease/ prevent burnout.

 social@jamiat.org.za