Behind every successful man, there is a woman. And behind every successful woman, there is a jealous husband. It is, of course, inappropriate to generalize this saying, but unfortunately this is what many working expatriate women feel and experience here. “I came here under my husband's Iqama (residence permit). I am an educated woman so I opened a school. The school flourished, but my marital life got affected because my husband was envious of my income which was much higher than what he earned,” said a Pakistani school owner, who talked to Saudi Gazette on condition of anonymity. “Today, our marriage is just a contract which we are following for our kids,” she said. Claudia Edward, a Filipino beautician also had lots of quarrels with her Indian ex-husband, who was a technician. “His inferiority complex made my life hell. I was making good money, but he always insulted and beat me which led to divorce,” she said. In Asian culture, the role of a husband in the family is usually higher than that of a woman. Husband is the main bread-earner for the family. So, when the wife earns more money than the husband and the role of the husband is reduced, it affects marital life. The salary of a person depends on the nature of work. It does not downgrade the one in front of the other, said Pakistani civil engineer Ali Zuhaib, whose wife is a qualified doctor in Canada and earning more money than him. “Career-oriented women, encountering spouse jealousy, should deal with the matter very carefully. They have to take care of their husbands and children first and then take time out for their career,” advises Dr. Abdul Azim Khan, a private consultant psychologist. According to Dr. Abdul Azim, many factors are responsible for spouse jealousy: Husbands may be less qualified and from a low-income family, resulting in inferiority complex; their apprehension of losing dominance in a patriarchal setup. “No educated person, having the balanced knowledge of Islam and existing time will ever get affected by the progress of his life-partner. Rather, he will support her and do every possible effort to keep her motivated for the welfare of the family and that of society,” says Dr. Azim. G.S. Sheema is an Indian head nurse in a private clinic in Jeddah. Her ex-husband was her cousin who was earning less than her. She said that her jealous neighbors had actually spoiled her marriage life by instigating him against her. “After a bad first marriage, I tried it again, and this time I married a younger man. I thought, this time, at least he won't be jealous. Not so, in my case. He's suspicious of every body who looks in my direction,” said Sheema. __
