President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi criticized the portrayal of family life in Egyptian television dramas on Tuesday, 18 November, arguing that decades of unrealistic depictions have distorted societal expectations and contributed to the rise in divorce rates.
Speaking during an open conversation with new applicants at the Police Academy, Sisi said that drama has long showcased lifestyles unattainable for most Egyptians, narrowing public understanding of what real family life looks like and creating tensions within households.
“Why have divorce rates increased?” Sisi asked. “Drama never shows a woman struggling alongside her husband, or that their home might be modest. What we see instead are villas and expensive apartments. Two-thirds of Egyptians cannot afford that.”
He added that such portrayals fuel dissatisfaction among viewers who begin comparing their own circumstances to the glamorous lives onscreen.
“When someone watches TV and then looks at their own home, they want it to look the same, but it’s not. So they stop feeling satisfied, whether with their father or their husband,” he said.
The president stressed that shaping a “healthy Egyptian personality” cannot be achieved through a single artistic work, especially after six decades of what he described as a repetitive artistic model that gradually influenced national values, emotions, and ways of thinking.
He emphasized that addressing any social issue requires an accurate diagnosis of its roots.
“Real reform begins with understanding the true causes,” he said. “You cannot reach solutions if you don’t know where the imbalance comes from.”
In Egypt, 25 out of every 100 marriages end in divorce, with the highest rates seen among those aged 20 to 30, according to former Minister of Social Solidarity Nevine Kabbaj.
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