The United Arab Emirates (UAE), located in the Arabian Gulf, has undergone significant social changes over the last 50 years. In addition to the positive social changes that have occurred since the discovery of oil, there also has been an increase in social problems, including divorce. Divorce rates are on the rise in the UAE, and the government is particularly concerned with the rising divorce rate among its citizens. Using both document analysis and in-depth interviews, this study sought to explore reasons for the increasing divorce rates; we analyzed 367 completed divorce files from four UAE emirates' courts: Sharjah, Ajman, Um Al Quwain, and Fujairah. Additionally, we conducted in-depth interviews with four divorced Emirati women to gain an understanding of unknown aspects of the divorce phenomenon in the UAE and inform government or social programs that are aimed at reducing the divorce rates.Over the last 50 years the United Arab Emirates (UAE), located in the Arabian Gulf, has undergone significant social changes. One of the most important factors that has contributed to these rapid changes is the channeling of oil revenues into significant development projects. The Emirates society has The authors would like to thank Dr. Marcia P. Harrigan for her assistance in reviewing the manuscript and offering valuable suggestions.
The number of global surrogacy arrangements increased exponentially over the last decade, and the rise in the practice has led to concerns over issues such as social justice, exploitation, and human rights abuses. Currently, there are no international regulations or guidelines regarding global surrogacy arrangements, and in some countries where the practice is prevalent, i.e., India, there is limited national regulation or oversight. Global surrogacy is a complex issue that includes questions related to morality, parentage, the natural motherinfant bond, and the complexities of inequalities in a globalized world that interface with a multi-million dollar industry. The purpose of the paper is to present global surrogacy dynamics written in a manner to help the reader understand this complex phenomenon, including a discussion of the associated problems and ethical dilemmas. The USA and India, two contrasting global surrogacy destination countries, are presented as cases, and some unique matters related to surrogacy in each country are emphasized to highlight the issues. Human rights instruments and international private law are discussed to frame global surrogacy regulation including the rights of the child and the rights of women. The analysis is concluded with pragmatic policy recommendations oriented to some of the practices necessary to regulate global surrogacy arrangements in a fair and consistent manner, while maintaining that ultimately the voices of all involved in global surrogacy contracts, and most especially the surrogates themselves, need to be included in further discussions of the issue.
The emergence of COVID-19 in the United States in early 2020 has severely disrupted the lives of most Americans, and people engaged in sex trade are no exception. People in sex work encounter multiple challenges when trying to access the services they need, particularly as they fear arrest, stigma, and pathology related to their work. These barriers have been amplified during the global COVID-19 pandemic, as sex trade workers may further lack access to crucially needed health care and may not have a mechanism for generating a basic income to meet their daily survival needs. Using an intersectional feminist lens, in this article, we discuss the impact of COVID-19 on people in sex work while highlighting sex workers’ resiliency and community action in the face of the pandemic. We highlight empowerment work led by black and brown sex worker communities. As authors and advocates, we call for critical feminist social work action that situates social workers as advocates for the human rights, well-being, and health of individuals in sex work, with a focus on centering the voices of those with lived experience and a focus on harm reduction, during and in the lingering aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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