Marriage is a formal union between two individuals and symbolizes their commitment and love for each other. It is crucial and serves as the foundation for building a family and creating a supportive ground for personal growth and emotional well-being. Additionally, marriage provides a sense of stability and security, fostering trust and deepening the bond between marital partners. Every year, millions of marriages occur in the world. But many marriages — willingly or unwillingly — result in divorce globally (1.8 percent). According to multiple sources including newspapers, the divorce rate has increased in different countries in the world in recent years. But the rising divorce rate has definitely become a concern in different countries.
Divorce has economic, social and other effects. While divorce empowers individuals, frees them from coercive relations and brings other positive outcomes many times, it often leads to notable negative consequences. Divorce has economic consequences for women. Many women face financial instability after divorce. It also leads to other troubles including emotional trouble for many men and women and social stigma for many women. Among others, it has impacts on children. According to multiple sources, children from divorced families experience emotional and behavioral problems, lower academic performance and difficulties in forming and maintaining relationships. Negative effects are more in many developing and less developed countries in Asia, Africa and other regions including India and Nigeria where there is limited access to income opportunities and social support systems. But divorce in low-income families results in more negative effects compared to higher-income households.
It is notable that there are economic, social and other factors that lead to divorce. Economic factors including economic difficulties or instability, driven by unemployment and/or other causes, that often create tension between married couples and lead to marital dissatisfaction contribute to the breakdown of marriages many times. Additionally, the legal frameworks and social factors including the lack of support from family or friends, cultural differences between couples, family violence and intimidation and societal pressures can strain a relationship and lead to divorce. Among others, the pressures of modern life including work stress, a lack of communication skills and the inability to resolve conflicts between married couples contribute to the breakdown of marriages. The pressure of modern life has increased divorce rates in different countries in recent years.
But cultural norms and values surrounding marriage also greatly influence divorce rates in different countries. The changing societal norms and values — which have led to a shift in the perception of marriage and commitment — contribute to the increased divorce rates. Among others, economic independence and gender equality have empowered individuals to make independent choices, including the decision to end a marriage, if it no longer brings them happiness or fulfillment. In different developed countries in North America, Europe and other regions including Sweden and Canada, where traditional family values have been changed or are being increasingly challenged by the emphasis on individualism, personal happiness and fulfillment, along with economic independence, there is a notable rise in divorce rates.
Given that divorce is not bad always and can bring positive outcomes many times, it is desired that steps be taken to address the causes of avoidable divorce in different countries. But promoting open communication between married couples and developing conflict resolution skills and problem-solving strategies are crucial since they can help address the problems or difficulties between couples before they escalate to the point of considering divorce many times. For this, providing accessible and affordable counseling services can be helpful for many couples in many countries. Additionally, implementing policies that support work-life balance and flexible working arrangements and providing access to resources including economic opportunities can contribute to reducing avoidable divorces in different countries many times.
But the emphasis also needs to be given to minimize the impacts of divorce. Addressing the economic and social aspects of divorce is definitely crucial for providing better support to divorced individuals — especially women. Ensuring fair child custody arrangements and enforcing alimony and child support payments can provide financial stability and security for women and children after divorce. Offering post-divorce counseling services to help individuals cope with the emotional and psychological effects of divorce is also imperative. Among others, promoting income opportunities including employment opportunities for divorced individuals can be helpful in many countries in reducing the potential impacts of divorce.
