CAIRO — A member of parliament's Religious Affairs Committee said he will propose amending the personal status law to grant women in Egypt the right to alimony as soon as they file for divorce. Parliamentarian Shukri al-Gundi announced Aug. 5 that he will introduce a draft amendment during the next session.

Divorce proceedings often last more than two years. Under the proposal, a court would direct a state-owned bank to issue a monthly allowance to a woman who has filed for divorce. The bank's payments would continue until the proceedings end.

The proposal is stirring controversy: Proponents see it as a strong, radical solution to the hardships the yearslong trial procedures inflict on women and children; opponents say the state budget cannot support the upfront payments. Opponents also say the plan would affect the financial status of banks, which would have to collect the money from husbands after a final judgment is made. This would be a particularly difficult procedure with men who do not work in the public sector and whose wages can't be garnished.

Gundi told Al-Monitor, “The lengthy trial procedures to grant women alimony constitute a form of torture for women and their families. The lawsuit demanding alimony takes more than two years in most cases. During this period, women do not have any resources to live on. Women who suffer the most are those who do not work or are poor and can't afford lawyers’ fees; those who can [afford the fees] are frustrated by the long procedures and the complications of investigating the husband’s income and the difficulties of notifying him of the alimony decision. This slowly drains women’s limited resources.”