Perhaps it would be better for us as a society to look at the causes of divorce
KARACHI: In Pakistan, the institution of marriage is held in high esteem. Despite this, the divorce rate is on the rise and this has been a cause of concern for many. In a country where most households equate divorce with bringing dishonour on the family, daughters are often told they can only return to their parents’ house after marriage if they are dead. The trend of ‘do or die’ type of marriages is declining now, and spouses would rather opt for a divorce than live in misery. Some of the most common reasons for divorce are emotional and physical abuse, extramarital affairs, a lack of trust and interference from the extended family, especially in a joint family system. Even though people who opt for divorce are often shamed for being irresponsible and for not upholding the sanctity of marriage, people continue to go down the path after exhausting all avenues such as counselling. They choose to free themselves of marriages that refuse to work, and also to protect their children from growing up in a tense and sometimes violent household. Perhaps it would be better for us as a society to look at the causes of divorce, and try to mend our ways rather than shaming people for not putting up with unhappy marriages.
Saman Fayyaz
Published in The Express Tribune, May 11th, 2019.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
