The wife’s contribution to household expenses: Between Islamic law and maghrebi family codes (Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco)
Keywords:
Contribution, Wife, Maintenance, Marital Obligations, FamilyAbstract
Maintenance (nafaqa) is among the legal consequences of a valid contract of marriage. Under Islamic law, the husband is obliged to support his wife according to his means, even if she is wealthy. However, due to evolving economic and social conditions affecting Arab society and families, numerous emerging issues have arisen most notably, women's participation in the workforce. This has generated ongoing debates between spouses, particularly regarding whether and to what extent a working wife is entitled to maintenance. Among the contemporary legal questions addressed in modern family codes in some Arab countries, reflecting current realities and based on the principle of equity between spouses in marriage and family relations is the issue of the working wife’s contribution to household expenses.
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