Context:

• This article is based on an Editorial “The taboo of divorce is waning, but families are still important” which was published in the Daily Pioneer. A strong family is a panacea for a sustainable society but the society is itself undergoing changes and women are no longer willing to suffer in silence also the taboo of divorce is starting to be diluted.
• Also, the attitudes among adult children to their parent’s second marriage are slowly changing.

Supporting Examples

• India: Recently, a father from Ranchi brings her distraught daughter back home, from her in-law’s place with a ‘band-baaja-baraat’, to cheer her up and send a message to society that daughters are not a burden. 
• Mauritania (A North-Western African Country): Their media reported that divorced women are being increasingly welcomed by their parental families amid huge celebrations, and many countries in North Africa and the Middle East are also following the same practice.

A Comparison of India And the United States on the Basis of Problems Faced by Divorced Couples

• More Trouble for Indian Women: They experience similar problems regarding socio-economic support and psychological well-being. However, Indian women face more problems than Indian men and suffer more hardship than American women.
• Reason for Trouble: It is due to their economic dependence on men, and also because of existing cultural beliefs about women and marriage, which impose a burden of duty and obligation.

Reason for Divorces in India

• Inequality in Responsibilities Sharing: Despite technological advancement and women’s increasing financial independence, some social roles remain unchanged, and family responsibilities aren’t shared equally, which can tire out a partner. 
• For Aged Persons: Many in their older/later years, are motivated by the possibility of pursuing interests, passions, and to a more wholesome life, which their spouses never shared or allowed’.
• Other Factors: 
  • Having no living sons or no children 
  • Women whose husbands have a lower level of education
  • Practical concerns such as a widowed/single father looking for childcare or a married woman seeking to escape from a violent marriage’. 

The Statistics

• Data From Global Index: India has the lowest divorce rate of just 1%, while Portugal has the highest divorce rate of 94%. 
  • Several European countries such as Finland, and Belgium experience more than 50 Percent divorce rates
• The UN’s Overview Of Marriage Patterns: There was a general upward trend of rise in the proportion of divorce or separation rates among adults (35-39 years).
  • In India, during the last two decades, there has been an increase of 50% to 60% in divorce rates, particularly in urban areas and metro cities and 53% of them were filed by people aged between 25-34 years.

The Path Ahead

• Need for Harmonious Relations: A stable home can only sustain harmonious marital and family relationships, based on love, commitment, and mutual respect, where both parents invest positively in children’s holistic growth and welfare.
• Strong Families, Sustainable Societies: Mauritania and the developed world have already caught up in ‘strong families, sustainable societies’ campaigns. India should also nurture and protect an intact, two-parent family, and a family structure that doesn’t undermine the rights of women.
• Strength of Nation: There is a famous saying that ‘the strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home’, which requires a relation of trust, love, and respect.  

Also Read: A Good Divorce

Conclusion:

The taboo of divorce is waning, reflecting changing societal norms where women are no longer willing to suffer in silence, but families remain the cornerstone of a stable society, requiring concerted efforts to foster harmonious relationships and uphold the rights of all individuals within the familial unit.

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