The Weight of Silence
The Weight of Silence
It wasn’t an exceptional day, but her need for money had doubled this year. At work, Salma stood before her manager’s desk, her fingers interlaced as if she were holding herself back from falling: "Could I please have an advance…?"
He didn’t lift his eyes from the paperwork: "The current situation doesn’t allow for it… besides, you took one last month and the month before. Where is all this money going, and when will you pay it back?"
Salma: "Sir, the money-pool (*Gam'eya*) was delayed, the kids' school expenses, and… well, you know how expensive everything has become."
The Manager: "No. And it’s enough that I didn’t deduct from your salary for being late last month—one day a minute, another day five."
Salma: "But sir…"
The Manager: "No means no. Now go back to your work."
One word, yet it slammed a whole door shut.
She left work, and despite the crowded street, she felt a sharp sense of loneliness… as if the whole world was passing by without seeing her. At home, no comfort awaited her.
"Mom… the school said if we don't pay, I won’t be allowed into class and I'll have to stand in the hallway all day."
A small voice, yet it was enough to shake whatever was left of her. She put down her bag and didn't respond.
Her husband entered and asked coldly: "How are things today? Where is lunch?" He took a quick look, then added: "You didn't pay the fees?"
She remained silent, so he added: "Never mind, they can stay home until you pay next week."
She raised her head slowly: "You handle it. You are their father and I couldn’t do it. The manager refused… I paid the first installment with an advance, and I bought the school supplies with another. I have nothing left and no way out."
"You chose this school and their education, so you pay. What’s wrong with government schools anyway?"
"What do you expect them to become there? Is there even any education left in them?"
"If you want to pay, they are your children and your job is better than mine. As for me, I don't have the money to give you… and what are you going to do with your money anyway? Storing money is a bad habit; you should invest it in them by spending it on them."
"This is my money, I am free to use it as I wish. It is supposed to be provided for me, the kids, and the house—that is your responsibility."
"Who said that? What 'my money' and 'your money'? Who is it all for in the end? Isn't it for our children? Your children… Do I have a second wife or another house? Are they someone else’s kids?! Besides, am I asking you to pay for *me*? I'm telling you this is their money… this is your responsibility."
Then he smiled a short, heatless smile: "And since you work… it’s only natural that you contribute. This is common knowledge and everyone agrees on it. This isn't the time for your 'work,' the house comes first."
She suddenly broke down, and the discussion turned into a conflict. Accumulated words and years of silence poured out all at once. In a moment, he said it: "If you don't like it… the door is wide enough for a camel." Then he added something more dangerous than the first: "These are my circumstances and I have nothing else. We could just end this whole thing and be done with each other…"
He didn't say the word "divorce," but he left it hanging in the air like a threat. Salma fell silent; not out of weakness, but because words no longer mattered.
### In the Lawyer's Office
The next day, she went to a side street, to a small sign that read: *Office of Nayerah, Attorney at Law.*
She entered the simple, tidy place and sat before a lawyer with calm features: "Please, go ahead."
She began to tell her story, not in an organized way, but like someone unloading a heavy burden—school fees, medical bills, appliances, constant pressure, and veiled threats. The lawyer listened without interruption, then opened a file and said calmly: "Let us separate the **emotion**… from the **right**."
She pulled out a paper and replied:
> **According to Law No. 25 of 1920:** "Alimony is mandatory for the wife from her husband… it includes food, clothing, housing, and medical treatment…"
> She looked at her: "This means your living expenses are not a 'favor'… they are a legal obligation."
>
> **According to Law No. 100 of 1985 (Amendment to Law No. 25 of 1920):**
> **Article 18 (bis 2):** "If the minor has no funds, their maintenance is the responsibility of the father. The maintenance of children continues until the daughter marries or earns enough for her livelihood, and until the son reaches fifteen years of age and is capable of earning a suitable living. If he reaches fifteen and is unable to earn or is a student pursuing a suitable education, his maintenance continues."
>
### ⚖️ Simplified Explanation:
* **The primary obligor** for maintenance is the father, as long as the children do not have their own wealth.
* **Maintenance includes:** Food, clothing, housing, education, and medical treatment.
* **Duration of eligibility:**
* **Daughter:** Continues until she marries or has a self-sufficient income.
* **Son:** Until age 15 if capable of working; it continues if he is a student or incapable of earning.
### ⚖️ Summary:
Child maintenance is not "assistance" from the father, but a direct legal obligation. Any evasion is a breach of a duty imposed by law, and educational expenses are a debt that must be paid, not an option.
Salma: "Does that mean he has the right not to pay if the children have money?"
The Lawyer: "A very pertinent question. **How can a child own money?** In law, a child can have an independent financial status in cases like (inheritance, gifts, financial compensation, returns on properties in their name, or bank savings).
⚠️ **But most importantly:** Spending from the child's money must be done with permission and oversight to ensure their best interest. In practice, most children do not have sufficient funds; therefore, the father's maintenance remains a fundamental obligation that does not lapse."
Salma: "But I am the one paying…"
The Lawyer: "And that doesn't waive your right as long as the receipts are in your name. If it wasn't intended as a donation, it is considered a **debt** that you can claim. You have the right to file a lawsuit for alimony for yourself and the children."
Salma asked eagerly: "So what I spent isn't lost? And what if he divorces me in absentia? Where would I get the money? He used to pay for some things and I paid for others, but for two years he has been threatening and refusing to pay after I got promoted."
The Lawyer: "As long as you have proof (school receipts and housing bills), your right is protected. Mrs. Salma, from a human rights and international perspective, what you are facing is classified as **Economic Violence**. Your rights are guaranteed in international conventions:
1. **Independent Financial Status:** Based on **CEDAW**, a woman has a full right to financial independence and managing her income. Pressuring her to carry the father's obligations is a violation of her legal capacity.
2. **Child’s Right to Development:** According to the **Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)**, Article 27, securing a standard of living is the father's legal responsibility, and depriving them of education is a breach of Article 28.
3. **Dignified Life:** The **Universal Declaration of Human Rights** (Article 25) affirms the family's right to well-being—obligations that are not cancelled by the wife's employment."
She added: "The law does not protect those who remain silent… it protects those who **document** and **claim**. You have two choices: continue paying in silence, or take the step to claim their rights. The result is guaranteed if receipts exist, even if the procedures take time. Be vigilant and document everything, even if he divorces you."
Salma left the office, carrying the beginning of an awareness of rights that had been squandered under the banner of motherhood, wondering: *Which path will she take?*