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faeze mohammadi

One in Five Women Feel Ignored During Childbirth in England

by faeze mohammadi January 4, 2026

One in five women feel their concerns were ignored during critical moments of childbirth. This alarming finding comes from a national survey of nearly 17,000 women who gave birth in NHS maternity services in England this summer, revealing serious deficiencies in the care system.

According to the survey conducted by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), in addition to the concerns of 18% of women being ignored, 15% did not receive adequate guidance or support when contacting a midwife at the start of their labour. Furthermore, one in ten women reported being left alone at a critical point during their maternity care when they were worried, with 7% experiencing this during the “final stages of labour,” the most perilous moments.

🔍 The Depth of the Crisis: From Physical Harm to Systemic Inequality

Statistics and reports indicate that these negative experiences are not merely feelings of discomfort but have tangible, sometimes disastrous, consequences.

Increasing Physical Injuries: New NHS data shows that the risk of severe injuries during childbirth is rising. The rate of third and fourth-degree perineal tears (anal sphincter injuries) has increased from 25 per 1,000 births in 2020 to 29 per 1,000 births by June 2025, representing a 16% rise. These injuries can lead to incontinence, chronic pain, sexual dysfunction, and psychological issues such as PTSD.
Structural Discrimination Against Black and Ethnic Minority Women: The crisis is not equal for all women. Official data reveals that Black women are more than twice as likely to die during pregnancy or within six weeks after childbirth compared to white women. For Asian women, this figure is 1.3 times higher. A separate survey of Black women also showed that nearly half of those who expressed concerns during labour felt these concerns were not properly addressed. A parliamentary committee has attributed this situation to “systemic failures in accountability and leadership” and “bias, stereotyping, and racist assumptions.”
Poor Service Ratings: The latest CQC national assessments show that of the 15 maternity services inspected under a new evaluation framework, approximately two-thirds (66.7%) were rated as “Requires Improvement” or “Inadequate.” Meanwhile, reviews of baby deaths found that in 30% of these cases, there was at least one issue with care that may have affected the outcome.

⚙️ The Roots of the Crisis: Staff Shortages and Overwhelming Workload

Experts and officials point to a chronic shortage of human resources as the core of these problems.

Midwife Shortage: The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) estimates a national shortage of approximately 2,500 midwives.
Unmanageable Workload: The 2024 NHS staff survey revealed that only 16% of midwives believe there are enough staff in their organization to do their jobs properly. This figure is 34% for all staff.
Workforce Burnout: 57% of midwives reported that their work emotionally exhausts them (compared to a 34% average across all staff).

Gill Walton, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Midwives, says: “These findings highlight the immense pressure midwives are under due to chronic staff shortages. When midwives are overstretched, it is much harder to provide the careful care that allows them to truly listen and respond to concerns.”

🛡️ Responses and Ongoing Measures

In response to this complex crisis, multiple actions have been initiated at various levels:

Action	Explanation and Goal
National Birth and Babies Inquiry	A rapid national inquiry has been launched by the new Health Secretary to hear from families and review practices.
National Maternity Improvement Strategy	The report by the parliamentary “Birth Trauma” group has called on the government to introduce a National Maternity Improvement Strategy.
Increased Training and Recruitment	The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan aims for a significant increase in domestic training, targeting approximately 58,000 training places for midwifery and nursing by 2031.
Efforts to Improve Learning Culture	Emphasis has been placed on better incident reporting and systematic learning from events to prevent the cycle of failure from repeating.

💡 Future Outlook: A Long Road Ahead

Although the CQC survey indicates minor improvements in some areas, such as increased access to mental health support during pregnancy (to 89%), warning voices suggest that key problems have not improved since last year.

Valerie Amos, overseeing a national inquiry into maternity care, has described this situation as “unacceptable”. It appears that England’s health system faces a long and challenging journey to restore lost trust and ensure safety and dignity for all women during one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. Success on this path depends on the rapid, transparent, and adequately funded implementation of reform plans, coupled with genuine systemic accountability to affected families.

Guardian

January 4, 2026 0 comment

Community

Femicide in Europe: Which Countries Report the Highest Rates?

by faeze mohammadi January 3, 2026

New data show that femicide—the killing of women because of their gender—remains one of the most serious forms of gender-based violence in Europe. While the phenomenon exists across all European Union member states, its prevalence varies significantly from country to country.

According to the latest figures, Latvia recorded the highest femicide rate in the EU in 2022 and 2023. In this country, an average of 17 women per million inhabitants were killed, a statistic that raises serious concerns about women’s safety and the effectiveness of protective mechanisms. Lithuania follows with 10 victims per million, while Austria ranks next with around five women killed per million inhabitants.

By contrast, several Southern and Western European countries, including Greece, Spain, and the Netherlands, reported the lowest femicide rates. However, experts caution that lower figures do not necessarily mean violence has been eradicated. Differences in legal definitions, reporting practices, and data collection methods can significantly affect national statistics.

On a global scale, the situation is even more alarming. Africa records the highest femicide rate worldwide, with around 30 victims per million people. This reflects the deep links between gender-based violence and structural inequalities, poverty, weak legal protections, and discriminatory social norms.

The United Nations defines femicide as the intentional killing of women for gender-related reasons, emphasizing its systemic nature. From this perspective, femicide is not merely an individual crime, but the outcome of unequal power relations and social structures that place women in vulnerable positions.

In response to this ongoing crisis, several European countries have moved to strengthen their legal frameworks. France, Spain, and Italy are among those that have adopted stricter laws to combat violence against women. These measures go beyond physical abuse and also criminalize indirect forms of violence, such as cutting off access to financial resources, economic control, or tracking a victim’s location.

Nevertheless, women’s rights advocates and civil society organizations warn that legislation alone is not enough. Effective enforcement of laws, proper training for police and judicial authorities, comprehensive psychological and social support for victims, and long-term cultural change are all essential to reducing femicide. Current statistics make clear that the killing of women remains a serious crisis in Europe and worldwide—one that requires political will, institutional accountability, and sustained public attention to address.

euronews

January 3, 2026 0 comment

opinion

When Dogs Teach a Lesson in Self-Control

by faeze mohammadi January 3, 2026

In recent days and weeks, if you’ve spent any time scrolling through social media, you’ve likely come across videos that, at first glance, seem like nothing more than simple, cute scenes.

In these short clips, a hungry dog sits directly in front of an enticing piece of food—often placed on the open palm of a woman’s hand—just a few centimeters from the dog’s mouth. The dog stares at the food, fidgets a little, sometimes shifts its gaze between the food and its owner, but despite the obvious temptation, it holds back. Until a clear command or permission is given, the food remains untouched. The moment permission is granted is the climax of the video: the dog finally eats, and the scene ends with a smile or praise from the owner. These few-second narratives, often accompanied by sarcastic captions or dark humor, have been viewed and shared millions of times.

On the surface, this content seems like a continuation of the familiar genre of cute and amusing animal videos—clips meant to entertain for a few seconds by showcasing animals’ patience, obedience, or intelligence. But the repetition of a specific pattern—a female hand, accessible food, a “no” or “wait” command, and the dog’s complete obedience—has quickly made it clear that these videos are not made merely to provoke laughter. In fact, the simple, easily understandable form of these images carries a symbolic message tied to one of today’s most controversial social issues: consent, personal boundaries, and violence against women.

By showing an animal—typically defined by instinct—content creators deliver an ironic message: if a trained dog can understand “no,” exercise patience, and respect boundaries, then an adult human cannot justify their behavior by claiming a lack of self-control. This message directly targets common narratives that place responsibility for sexual or behavioral violence on the victim—narratives that argue a woman’s clothing, behavior, or mere presence caused or provoked the violence.

The power of these videos lies precisely in their simplicity. Instead of slogans or overt expressions of anger, they rely on imagery—imagery that, without lengthy explanations, places a moral contrast before the viewer. If we expect a dog to wait and respect boundaries, why shouldn’t we hold humans to the same standard? This simple question challenges many of the excuses and justifications commonly used to rationalize violence.

This trend can be seen as an extension of discussions that have gained momentum in recent months around women’s safety in public spaces. One of the most well-known examples was the widely circulated question: if you had to be alone in the woods, would you rather be with a strange man or a bear? A striking number of women chose the bear. This choice was not meant as a joke or exaggeration, but stemmed from real experiences of fear, insecurity, and violence they had witnessed or endured at the hands of humans. The dog videos, using a gentler and more symbolic language, express the same sentiment: women want their boundaries to be respected and expect every individual to be responsible for their own behavior.

Ultimately, the meaning that has come to be attached to these seemingly simple videos points to a serious gap—a gap in being heard. When direct warnings, personal testimonies, and even statistics fail to capture public attention, metaphor and irony become tools of expression. The popularity of these videos comes not merely from a love of animals, but from widespread empathy with the message behind them: violence is not justifiable, “no” always means “no,” and respecting others’ boundaries is a conscious choice, not something beyond one’s control.

faeze Aghamohammady

January 3, 2026 0 comment

Europe

Brigitte Macron’s Slur Sparks Outcry in France

by faeze mohammadi January 3, 2026

Brigitte Macron, the First Lady of France, has found herself at the center of a political and social controversy following the leak of a video containing her private remarks.

The footage, apparently filmed yesterday backstage at a Parisian theater, shows her using highly offensive language towards feminist protesters who had disrupted a performance the previous night. Speaking to the controversial French comedian Gérard Darmon, the term she used has been translated into English as “dirty whores.”

The remarks were made in response to Darmon’s concerns about potential continued protests against him. Darmon, who had faced rape accusations several years ago, was ultimately acquitted after a three-year judicial process. However, French feminist groups view his public presence as a symbol of a culture of impunity in cases of sexual assault, and they protested his appearance by disrupting his theater performance last night.

Following the widespread dissemination of the video on social media and in the media, reactions were swift and severe. Prominent French women’s rights associations and activists described the comments as “shameful,” “demeaning,” and “aligned with a culture of verbal violence against women.” Some political figures from left and center-left parties have called for a public apology from the First Lady.

In response to the wave of criticism, the Élysée Palace issued a brief statement attempting to downplay the severity of the incident. The statement claimed that Ms. Macron’s intention was “in no way to insult the protesting women as a group, but merely to express disagreement with their violent and extreme methods of protest.” The office emphasized that the First Lady has always supported the fight for women’s rights.

However, analysts believe this justification has failed to mitigate the depth of the damage. The incident has triggered several sensitive debates within French society: first, the perennial discussion about the line between a public figure’s freedom of speech and their social responsibility; second, the heated debate surrounding sexual assault allegations and the social acceptance of individuals who have been judicially acquitted; and third, the manner in which institutions of power interact with radical social movements like feminism.

This is not the first time Brigitte Macron has faced criticism for her blunt and politically unvarnished comments, but the severity of the language used this time and its target (female protesters) appear to have made the sensitivity and scope of the criticism far broader. No direct reaction has yet been issued by French President Emmanuel Macron regarding the matter. The consequences of this scandal on the First Lady’s public standing and its impact on France’s socio-political landscape will need to be monitored in the coming days.

euronews

January 3, 2026 0 comment

West Asia

Horrific abuses in occupier prisons

by faeze mohammadi December 31, 2025

The Prisoners’ Information Office affiliated with the Hamas movement has reported that Palestinian female prisoners in Israel’s Damon Prison have been subjected to what it described as “brutal” abuse. These abuses included “forcibly removing their hijabs and beating them,” as part of a series of repeated attacks that began at the start of December and resulted in injuries to a number of the detainees.

In a statement, the Prisoners’ Information Office said that these actions fall within the framework of a “dangerous and ongoing escalation” against female prisoners in Damon Prison and constitute a “clear violation of all humanitarian laws and norms.” The statement added: “The prisoners were forcibly taken to the outdoor yard and made to sit on the ground; their hijabs were torn off, and in addition to the use of dogs and stun grenades, they were beaten.”

According to the newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, the office emphasized that among these detainees are Palestinian women who were injured as a result of four consecutive repetitions of these violent attacks during the month of December. The office held Israel fully responsible for the safety of the prisoners and warned against the “continuation of this repressive approach.” It also called on human rights and international organizations to take urgent action to stop these escalating violations against female prisoners in Damon Prison.

In a related report, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights documented in November cases of abuse suffered by one of the female prisoners in Israeli prisons. The center quoted the former detainee, after her release, as revealing that she had been subjected repeatedly to sexual violence and, during her detention, was forced to strip and be filmed. In its report, the center also exposed what it described as the “spread of sexual torture in a systematic and organized manner, including rape, forced stripping, forced filming, and sexual assault using tools and dogs,” by Israeli occupation forces.

According to Palestinian and Israeli legal reports, Israel is holding more than 9,300 Palestinian prisoners in detention, including children and women, all of whom suffer from torture, starvation, and medical neglect, to the extent that the suffering has led to the death of some of them. It is noteworthy that crimes committed by Israel against prisoners have intensified in parallel with the genocidal war in Gaza, which began in October 2023 and has so far resulted in the killing of around 71,000 people and the injury of more than 171,000—most of them women and children.

alaraby

December 31, 2025 0 comment

Asia

The Elderly Trapped in Poverty

by faeze mohammadi December 31, 2025

In Japan, a country where the elderly make up about 29.3% of the population (equivalent to 36.25 million people in 2024), a strange and controversial phenomenon has emerged in recent years: some elderly individuals are intentionally committing minor crimes to be sent to prison. They see prison as their last refuge—a place that provides at least basic necessities, food, and healthcare compared to the loneliness and poverty outside prison walls.

According to local reports, prisons such as the women’s prison “Tochigi” north of Tokyo have seen a significant increase in the number of prisoners over the age of 65. This number has nearly quadrupled between 2003 and 2022.

Prisons Are Turning into Nursing Homes

As reported by the Monte Carlo International news platform, prison officials explain that this age group sometimes requires full assistance with daily tasks, including changing clothes, bathing, and feeding. This situation makes the duties of prison staff resemble care in a nursing home.

According to a report by the American magazine “Bloomberg,” the annual cost of housing a prisoner in Japan exceeds $20,000, and this cost is even higher for the elderly due to their special medical needs.

Minor Thefts in Exchange for a Secure Life

Based on a video report by CNN, the elderly choose prison because, compared to facing cold and hunger outside prison walls, “they feel safer inside.” Additionally, prison guarantees them access to free medical care—a cost they had to bear themselves in normal life.

One female prisoner who had resorted to stealing food to make ends meet emphasized that if she had financial stability, she would never have done this, and prison provided her with psychological and material stability that she could not find in her daily life. Official government statistics show that in 2022, over 80% of elderly female prisoners in Japanese prisons were incarcerated for theft charges.

It should be noted that about 20% of Japan’s elderly live below the poverty line, while the average for the 38 member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is 14.2%. According to these elderly individuals, this situation has made prison a realistic option for survival.

mc-doualiya

December 31, 2025 0 comment

West Asia

I Had to Choose Between Journalism and My Children’s Lives

by faeze mohammadi December 28, 2025

The Spanish newspaper El País has published a detailed report chronicling the life and professional experience of Youmna El-Sayed, an Al Jazeera English correspondent in the Gaza Strip. This reporter, amidst the war that Israel launched against Gaza on October 7, 2023, not only witnessed genocide but also broadcasted it moment by moment to the world.

Youmna El-Sayed was forced to leave Gaza with her children after receiving direct threats from the Israeli army. She now resides in her hometown of Cairo but continues to keep the voice of the people of Gaza alive by traveling to various countries, warning against the forgetting of the humanitarian catastrophe in the region.

This Palestinian reporter was living in Gaza City with her husband and four children when the war began. Simultaneously with Israel’s ban on foreign journalists entering the area, the role of local reporters, including Youmna El-Sayed, became vitally important, as their reports were the world’s only window into the on-the-ground realities of Gaza.

When the possibility to leave Gaza arose in late 2023, El-Sayed faced one of the most difficult decisions of her life. She says about this: “It was a pivotal moment; my mother told me I had to choose between being a journalist and being a mother, because I could no longer do both at the same time.”

This 35-year-old reporter ultimately decided to prioritize her children’s lives and move them to a safe place, but she still grapples with a feeling she calls “survivor’s guilt.” She says: “I am happy that my children are safe now, but my colleagues are still in Gaza, and the genocide continues.”

During the months Youmna El-Sayed covered the war, she and her children, who were between the ages of 5 and 12 at the time, experienced bombardment, forced displacement, and hunger. El-Sayed says: “In three months, we were forced to flee six times.” While trying to secure food for her family, she produced live television reports.

One of her reports was widely shared on social media when the Israeli army targeted a building near her location during a live broadcast. According to El País, Youmna El-Sayed was a well-known figure to the Israelis due to her work for Al Jazeera. She says about this: “The Israeli army threatened me twice, and that made me feel like I was the biggest danger to my children’s lives.”

This Gaza reporter strongly criticizes international media, accusing them of bias towards Israel’s narrative, dehumanizing Palestinian victims, and failing to independently verify information provided by the Israeli army.

According to El-Sayed, international media have lost their credibility, driving people towards social media—a trend that increases the risk of spreading misinformation. She says: “Why do they say ‘the Hamas-affiliated Ministry of Health’ when announcing casualty figures? This is a trick to create doubt in the audience’s mind. This entity is the Palestinian Ministry of Health.”

Youmna El-Sayed also expressed skepticism regarding former U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza’s future, seeing it as a continuation of the original plan: seizing Gaza and turning it into a “Riviera.” She adds: “Gaza is now destroyed and uninhabitable, but when they seize it, they will also take its resources; everyone is after their share of this cake.”

She emphasizes that this plan holds no benefit for the people of Gaza and says: “If they truly intended to help the Palestinians, they would at least begin implementing the ceasefire agreement,” but according to her, this has never happened.

El-Sayed further explains: “According to the agreement, 600 trucks of humanitarian aid, including fuel, gas, medicine, and food, were supposed to enter Gaza daily, but in practice, only 100 to 160 trucks are allowed in. No fuel or medicine enters, and what arrives is often sweets, chocolate, soda, and ready-made meals. There is no real food, protein, or vegetables; while the people of Gaza have been grappling with malnutrition for two years. This is a strategy to exacerbate diseases.”

This Palestinian reporter completed her studies in Languages and Translation at Cairo University. All members of her extended family still live in Gaza and occasionally send her pictures. She reacts by saying: “I don’t recognize anything; everywhere has turned into a desert of rubble.”

The journey of Youmna El-Sayed and her children to Egypt came at a heavy financial cost to her father. In recent weeks, reports have also surfaced about some families traveling from Gaza to South Africa by paying amounts between $2,500 and $5,000. El-Sayed says about this: “Israel is facilitating the exit of families from Gaza because it is advancing its own plan. They want the people of Gaza to leave so they can continue the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians.”

Alnisa

December 28, 2025 0 comment

Europe

Gender Row in Britain

by faeze mohammadi December 27, 2025

The story began when the UK Supreme Court, in a historic ruling, decided to define the legal meaning of the word ‘woman’ based on biological sex—what is recorded on a birth certificate at birth.

This verdict sparked widespread debate, but the saga didn’t end there. Subsequently, the UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which monitors compliance with anti-discrimination laws, issued new mandatory guidance based on this court ruling. According to this guidance, all public single-sex spaces—such as toilets, swimming pool and gym changing rooms, and sometimes separate accommodations—must be segregated solely based on sex at birth. That is, the criterion is not current gender identity, but being recorded as male or female at the time of birth.

This policy has been communicated as official guidance to all service providers; from shops and private clubs to schools, universities, and other public places. According to officials, the aim is to create legal certainty and preserve safe spaces for women who live according to their birth sex, so they can feel more secure and at ease.

However, the enforcement of this guidance is a key point. The EHRC’s new chair, Baroness Kishwer Falkner (note: the article mentions Mary Stephenson, but the current chair is Kishwer Falkner; a possible name error in the original text), has stressed that there will be no direct monitoring force or anything resembling a ‘toilet police’. Enforcement is intended to rely more on the voluntary cooperation of the public and business owners.

She explains that if many complaints are raised about a particular place, the owner will first be contacted and asked to resolve the issue. These solutions could include putting up clearer signs, explaining policies transparently, or providing alternative facilities—for example, single-occupancy, lockable, and completely private rooms that are gender-neutral and available for anyone to use. The goal is to reduce tension and conflict in public spaces.

However, in contrast, this guidance has been met with fierce reactions and widespread protests. Transgender rights activists say this policy is not progress, but a serious step backwards and a clear form of discrimination. In their view, this law makes the daily lives of many trans people extremely difficult.

Critics give a simple example: Imagine a person who is completely recognised in appearance and social life as a woman, but whose birth certificate records their sex as male. According to this guidance, if she enters a women’s toilet, she may face objections, humiliation, or even be ejected. On the other hand, using the men’s toilet could also be unsafe and uncomfortable for her and for others. In this way, trans people are placed in a dilemma, and their human dignity is jeopardised.

These groups believe such a policy contradicts the spirit of equality laws enacted over the years to protect minorities. They argue that this decision is more of a political reaction to heated social debates than a practical solution, and will ultimately fuel greater division and stigma.

The practical impact of this guidance on people’s daily lives—in cities, shopping centres, clubs, and universities—will become clear in the coming months. Will businesses implement it? Will the public comply? And will this policy reduce tensions or, conversely, make them more overt? The answers to these questions will largely determine the future path of the debate on equality and social inclusion in Britain.

BBC

December 27, 2025 0 comment

North America

US Army Doctor Victimized 81 Patients

by faeze mohammadi December 27, 2025

The case of a US Army gynecologist, previously prosecuted on sexual crime charges, has now taken on a much broader and more alarming dimension with the addition of 81 new plaintiffs.

These women, all former patients of the accused doctor named Blaine McGrew at the Fort Hood military base in Texas, have made serious allegations against him in a group civil lawsuit. They claim that during examinations and medical procedures, this doctor not only secretly filmed them without consent but also engaged in inappropriate touching, sexual assault, and caused physical harm.

These allegations come as McGrew had already faced 54 serious criminal charges from judicial authorities for unlawful visual recording of 44 female patients. Now, however, the scope of the claims has expanded, revealing the deeper extent of the tragedy. One of the most painful cases mentioned involves a female soldier who, after a sexual assault, went to this doctor for a medical-legal examination and to document evidence. According to the civil complaint, McGrew intentionally destroyed this soldier’s medical records and rape kit; a shocking act that directly led to the acquittal of the perpetrator in that case, making a mockery of justice not only for this victim but for the entire military justice system.

This complex case has now become a serious test for the Pentagon and its reform promises regarding handling sexual misconduct. In recent years, the US Army had promised to create a safer environment and a more accountable system for victims of such crimes. However, how this specific case is handled—in which a trusted medical authority committed such organized and deep violations—will show whether these promises were merely slogans or if real mechanisms have been established to support victims and punish perpetrators, especially when the accused is a member of the system itself. The outcome of this trial could herald real change or be a painful repetition of past injustices.

Guardian

December 27, 2025 0 comment

Asia

When Simple Behavior Becomes a Legal Matter

by faeze mohammadi December 25, 2025

Imagine a man who spends most of his time on Instagram, incessantly liking photos of other women. He doesn’t send messages or pursue any relationships, but this simple, repetitive habit gradually becomes a serious issue in his marriage—one that could even lead to court.

In this context, Turkey’s Supreme Court recently issued a ruling that has resonated far beyond a typical judicial decision, sparking widespread public and legal debate. According to this ruling, a husband’s act of liking other women’s photos on social media can be considered by the court as valid grounds for divorce. This decision originated from a real case in the city of Konya and has now become a legal precedent in Turkey’s highest judicial authority.

But why has a simple “like” become so significant? The story began when a woman went to court, stating that her husband persistently liked other women’s photos on social media. In her view, this behavior caused humiliation, eroded trust, inflicted emotional harm, and weakened the foundation of their marriage.

The Turkish family court initially examined this conduct and concluded that liking other women’s photos is not merely a simple online activity but can be considered a form of behavior damaging to marital trust. From the court’s perspective, such actions undermine the mutual sense of security and respect in a marriage and can therefore harm the family’s foundation. The appeals court upheld this analysis, and ultimately, Turkey’s Supreme Court affirmed the earlier rulings, stating that this type of virtual behavior can constitute harm to the family foundation and serve as legitimate grounds for divorce.

The legal significance of this ruling lies in a subtle yet crucial point. The court explicitly did not classify this behavior as sexual infidelity but regarded it as a form of emotional infidelity and marital misconduct. In Turkey’s legal system, divorce is typically examined based on the fault of one spouse; that is, the court seeks to determine who played the primary role in the breakdown of the marriage.

This determination of fault directly impacts the financial outcomes of the case, including alimony, compensation, and other financial rights. Therefore, if the husband is found at fault in such a case, he may be ordered to pay compensation, or the wife may be entitled to greater financial rights. This ruling is the first to seriously demonstrate that digital behaviors and online activities can also play a role in determining fault.

Reactions to this ruling have been mixed. Supporters argue that the decision aligns with the realities of modern life, showing that online behaviors can have profound psychological effects on marital relationships. They see this ruling as a step toward protecting women’s dignity and emotions within the family, indicating that courts now take the virtual sphere seriously as part of individuals’ real lives.

On the other hand, critics argue that the ruling excessively invades individuals’ privacy and expands the definition of marital misconduct too broadly. According to this group, such an approach could increase distrust between spouses and, instead of reducing tension, raise divorce rates. Some legal scholars also question the ruling’s legal foundations, suggesting it may face significant interpretive challenges in the future.

This legal perspective is most compatible with countries like Turkey, which follow a fault-based divorce system. In contrast, many Western countries, such as Australia, Canada, and much of Europe, operate under a no-fault divorce system. In these countries, courts generally do not concern themselves with who is at fault or what specific behaviors occurred; it is enough to prove that the relationship has reached an impasse and continuing the marriage is impossible. In such systems, liking or not liking posts on social media typically plays no role in the court’s decision. This difference clearly illustrates how each country’s culture, legal structure, and social perspective shape the definitions of concepts like fidelity, trust, and misconduct.

From a psychological standpoint, this ruling can be analyzed within the framework of a concept known as micro-cheating. Micro-cheating refers to behaviors that are not overt or physical infidelity and may seem minor or insignificant on the surface but gradually erode the boundaries of trust. Persistently liking photos of others is precisely this type of behavior—seemingly simple at first glance but capable of destroying the sense of emotional security and self-worth in the other partner.

Overall, the ruling by Turkey’s Supreme Court is not merely about a “like”; it is a sign of the increasing complexity of human relationships in the digital age. It shows that the boundaries between private life, virtual behavior, and marital commitments are shifting, and the judicial system is striving to adapt to these changes.

At the same time, this decision raises important questions for society: To what extent can online behaviors be subject to legal judgment? Where exactly do the boundaries between privacy and marital responsibility lie? Do traditional family laws have the capacity to address the realities of the digital world? The answers to these questions will likely become clearer in the coming years as similar cases emerge.

Faeze Aghamohammady

December 25, 2025 0 comment

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