Author By : Shameerpet Manasa
Institution: Mahindra University
Research :
“My research is entirely based on fieldwork and focuses on the struggles faced by single women, as well as the challenges encountered by both educated and uneducated women across different religions.” And by this, we can understand how education was important for women to overcome the future consequences.
Divorce Culture in Different Regions and Religions
Cultural and religious values, along with legal frameworks, significantly influence how societies perceive and handle divorce. Below is a comprehensive comparative overview of how divorce is approached in different religious and regional contexts.
1. Christianity
Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy:
Within Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions, marriage is considered a sacred sacrament that is indissoluble. These denominations emphasize the lifelong bond of marriage, and therefore, divorce is generally discouraged or outright forbidden. The only acceptable route to ending a marriage is through annulment—a declaration that the marriage was never valid in the first place. However, obtaining an annulment is a complex and often rare process, involving strict criteria and ecclesiastical approval.
Protestant Denominations:
In contrast, Protestant churches tend to adopt more liberal views regarding divorce. While marriage is still considered important, divorce is more commonly accepted in cases of irreconcilable differences, infidelity, abuse, or neglect. Many Protestant denominations offer counseling and pastoral support to help couples either reconcile or part ways amicably. Pastoral care often plays a crucial role in guiding individuals through the emotional and spiritual challenges of divorce.
2. Islam
Islam permits divorce but views it as a last resort. It provides structured processes for ending a marriage, with specific guidelines rooted in the Qur’an and Hadith.
Talaq:
This is a method of divorce primarily initiated by the husband. The husband may pronounce “talaq” (divorce) either once or up to three times, depending on the context and interpretation by the Islamic school of thought (Sunni or Shia). The process and consequences of talaq vary across different countries and legal systems within the Islamic world.
Rights of Women:
Islam also permits women to initiate divorce under certain conditions. For example, khula allows a woman to divorce her husband by returning her dowry (mahr) and seeking judicial approval. Despite these provisions, women’s ability to divorce is often hindered by cultural norms, patriarchal interpretations of Sharia, and local laws. In some regions, the process remains burdensome, and divorced women may face social ostracization, financial hardship, or legal obstacles.
3. Judaism
Judaism permits divorce under Halakha (Jewish law), but the process is distinctly religious and involves both parties. A key component is the get, a religious divorce document that must be willingly given by the husband to the wife.
Without receiving a get, a woman becomes an agunah (“chained woman”) and cannot remarry within the Jewish faith. This status can lead to long-term emotional and social consequences. Although reconciliation is often encouraged within Judaism, divorce is not prohibited and is accepted when necessary. However, the gendered nature of the get process has led to various challenges and controversies, especially when the husband refuses to grant the get.
4. Hinduism
In Hinduism, marriage is traditionally seen as a sacred and lifelong union. Divorce has historically been rare and strongly discouraged, particularly in rural and conservative areas. Cultural norms tend to place a heavy burden on women to maintain the marital relationship, often at the expense of their well-being.
However, in modern India, legal reforms and increasing urbanization have led to a gradual rise in divorce cases. Educated and urban populations are more likely to seek legal recourse in troubled marriages. Nevertheless, social stigma, especially for women, remains strong in many communities. Divorcees often face judgment from society, and many women continue to endure abusive marriages to avoid the label of being “divorced.”
5. Buddhism
Buddhism takes a relatively neutral stance on marriage and divorce. Unlike other major religions, Buddhism does not regard marriage as a sacred or religious obligation. It is seen as a secular arrangement between two individuals.
Because of this outlook, divorce is generally accepted, particularly if the relationship causes suffering or obstructs spiritual development. The emphasis in Buddhist teachings is on compassion, non-attachment, and the minimization of harm. Couples are encouraged to resolve differences peacefully and end relationships that are toxic or abusive, without guilt or condemnation.
Divorce Cases in Educated Families (Islamic Region)
In many educated Islamic families, women may still encounter systemic challenges when it comes to divorce. Despite being educated, they often face emotional, financial, and social barriers due to cultural expectations and gender roles. One such example includes a woman whose husband forced her to request financial help from her family because he refused to take financial responsibility. This situation created a severe power imbalance in the marriage, degrading the woman’s dignity and making her feel helpless and humiliated.
Being forced to rely on her family for financial support brought immense emotional stress and pressure, especially when family members viewed the request as unfair. The repeated humiliation caused anxiety, depression, and social stigma, impacting her physical and reproductive health. The husband used emotional manipulation and threats, at one point even allegedly killing their unborn child by mixing medicine in her food. The manipulation extended to gaslighting and the husband’s family blaming the woman for financial shortcomings, pressuring her to ask her family for money.
Eventually, the woman learned that her husband had married another woman in exchange for financial gain. This betrayal pushed her into deep emotional trauma, anger, and despair. Without support, she was left feeling humiliated and hopeless. The trauma extended to her children, who suffered emotionally from witnessing their mother’s pain and the breakdown of the family. The second marriage also strained financial resources, causing further hardship for the woman and her children, who faced risks of poor education, healthcare, and living conditions. Eventually, she decided to divorce her husband while pregnant to protect her future and her children’s well-being.
Claim for Maintenance in Islamic Law
Under Islamic law (Sharia), maintenance (nafaqah) is provided to the wife only during the iddah period—the waiting period following divorce. After this period, the woman is no longer legally entitled to financial support unless children are involved.
This presents a major hardship, particularly for women without children, as post-iddah maintenance is rarely granted. In many jurisdictions, there are no clear laws to support women financially after this period. Even when women seek maintenance through legal channels, they often face delays, uncooperative law enforcement, and legal ambiguity. Police may refuse to record complaints or investigate claims, and courts may take years to act.
Moreover, if the mahr was not adequately specified or if the husband hides assets, women are left without legal redress. While Islamic law requires men to support their children after divorce, this does not extend to the ex-wife. In the absence of proper legal structures, many women are forced into financial dependence or even returned to their abusive ex-husbands.
Divorce in Hinduism
In one documented case, a couple educated together, fell in love, and married with the approval of their families. However, problems soon emerged, including a lack of understanding, regular conflicts, and physical and emotional abuse by the husband, often in front of his family. His relatives encouraged his behavior, leading the woman to suffer daily trauma. Despite being educated and holding a B.A. degree, she faced emotional instability, depression, and financial problems. At one point, she attempted suicide.
Eventually, she decided to file for divorce. She was the mother of one child and pregnant with her second. Her husband remarried after the divorce and lived happily with his second family. Meanwhile, the woman struggled for many years, fighting for financial stability and emotional recovery. It took her nearly a decade to regain control of her life, driven by her love for her children and the need to provide for them.
Divorce Cases in Uneducated Families
In uneducated families, traditional values are deeply rooted, and both men and women are often married at a young age without considering long-term compatibility or financial planning. In such communities, women are expected to endure any abuse or infidelity from their husbands, fearing social stigma if they leave.
These women usually do not consider legal options like divorce and instead try to solve problems through family elders or village heads. Cultural traditions often outweigh individual rights. Women in these communities deeply respect their husbands and families, even when they are mistreated.
Real-life case :
A woman named Swathi was married young and had two children. She later discovered her husband had established a second family. Feeling betrayed, she informed her brother, who called the village elders. While she wanted to leave her husband, the elders pressured her to stay. Nevertheless, she chose to leave the village with her children, refusing to continue the marriage. Although she never legally divorced, she lived independently and raised her children on her terms.
This case shows how divorce is often informal in rural areas, where legal action is replaced by community arbitration. This process is also used by some wealthy families, who prefer to resolve marital issues privately through family or community mediation rather than courts.
Reasons for Not Getting a Divorce in Poor Communities
Poor women often do not seek divorce due to:
Respect for religious and cultural traditions.
Fear of social stigma and community judgment.
Financial dependence on their husbands.
Lack of legal awareness or resources.
Emotional attachment to the family structure.
Absence of alternative shelter or livelihood.
In these communities, even when women are abandoned or abused, they may continue to live with their husband’s identity due to societal pressure and the need for survival.
My analysis from this research :
The Role of Education in Divorce and Its Aftermath
The cases discussed above clearly highlight a profound truth: education plays a transformative role in a woman’s ability to navigate, survive, and rebuild after divorce. While divorce is traumatic regardless of background, its long-term effects vary greatly depending on a woman’s educational level and awareness of her legal rights.
Educated Women: Recovery Through Resilience
In the two cases involving educated women—one in an Islamic family and one in a Hindu family—we observe that education provided these women with the tools to take control of their lives, even in the face of betrayal, abuse, and abandonment. Though both women experienced depression, financial hardship, and social stigma, they eventually found the strength to rise again.
They were aware of their rights, took steps toward legal separation, and prioritized the welfare of their children. Over time, they built independent lives, secured better futures for their children, and restored their mental well-being. Education enabled them not only to survive but also to thrive despite their circumstances.
Uneducated Women: Struggles Rooted in Silence and Dependency
In contrast, the case of the uneducated woman from a rural background shows a different and more painful trajectory. Lacking education and awareness of legal formalities, she could not seek a formal divorce or protect herself legally. Instead, she had to rely on village elders, who prioritized tradition and male authority over her well-being.
Although she found the courage to walk away from her husband, she continued to live under the societal label of “married,” without legal closure. Financial instability, emotional turmoil, and lack of support plagued her, making it incredibly difficult to raise her children alone. Her suffering was prolonged simply because she lacked access to knowledge, legal protection, and economic empowerment.
Impact on Children: A Generation at Risk
One of the most tragic outcomes in both types of families—but more pronounced in uneducated households—is the impact of divorce on children. Children who witness abuse, separation, and instability often suffer from emotional distress, trauma, and confusion. They may struggle with:
Mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem
Poor academic performance due to a lack of focus, support, and stability
Social stigma, especially in conservative communities, where children of single mothers are often treated with less respect.
Lack of opportunities due to financial hardship or being forced to drop out of school
In educated families, children may still face emotional struggles, but their mothers are more equipped to support them mentally, emotionally, and financially, helping them recover and continue their studies. In uneducated families, the absence of emotional awareness and financial security often results in long-term developmental and psychological harm to children.
Why Education Is Not Just Important — It Is Essential
These real-life stories reveal that education is not merely a tool for personal growth; it is a shield, a resource, and a pathway to dignity, especially for women navigating divorce. An educated woman is more likely to:
Know her legal rights
Take legal action when necessary.
Become financially independent
Provide emotional and material support to her children.n
Rebuild her self-esteem and identity.
In contrast, lack of education perpetuates cycles of dependency, abuse, and poverty, not only for the woman but for her children and generations to follow.
Therefore, investing in women’s education is one of the most powerful tools to build resilient families and societies. Education empowers women to say “no” to abuse, to stand up for justice, and to create better lives for their children—free from fear, shame, and silence.
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