Major changes are occurring in the world of work, owing to the increasing participation of women and older people, the fact that both partners often now work, sometimes at different hours and on different days, and the challenges posed by care of children and the elderly.

F. whereas Al-Lahem also defended the case of the couple Fatimeh and Mansour Al-Taimani, parents of two children, who were forcibly divorced in July 2007 on the request of the wife's brother, based on the argument that Fatimah's tribal lineage was superior to that of her husband; whereas both have been incarcerated for days, indeed months, together with their children for refusing to accept the divorce, and whereas since then Fatimeh has been obliged to live in a shelter because she refuses to return to her family,

F. whereas Mr Al-Lahem also defended the case of the couple Fatima and Mansour Al-Timani, parents of two children, who were forcibly divorced in July 2007 on the request of the wife's brother, based on the argument that Fatima's tribal lineage was superior to that of her husband; whereas both were incarcerated for days, indeed months, together with their children for refusing to accept the divorce, and whereas since then Fatima has been obl ...[+++]iged to live in a shelter because she refuses to return to her family,

F. whereas Mr Al-Lahem also defended the case of the couple Fatima and Mansour Al-Timani, parents of two children, who were forcibly divorced in July 2007 on the request of the wife's brother, based on the argument that Fatima's tribal lineage was superior to that of her husband; whereas both were incarcerated for days, indeed months, together with their children for refusing to accept the divorce, and whereas since then Fatima has been obl ...[+++]iged to live in a shelter because she refuses to return to her family,

In order to take account of the rapid evolution of the family unit in society and recognition in some Member States of special legal status for unmarried couples, as well as the need to eliminate, as far as possible, discrimination against unmarried partners of both sexes, the proposal for a directive on the right of EU citizens and members of their families to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States, adopted by the Commission on 23 May 2001, extends the right to family reunification to unmarried partners where the legislation of the host Member State likens the situation of unmarried couples to that of married c ...[+++]ouples, in accordance with the conditions laid down by this legislation.

In addition, rules which make it more beneficial to be taxed as a couple than as a single person must apply to frontier workers in the same way as for couples in a similar situation in the Member State of employment and may not be conditional upon both spouses being resident in the State of employment. [110].