{"id":987995,"date":"2026-08-08T02:01:23","date_gmt":"2026-08-08T02:01:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/987995\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T02:01:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T02:01:23","slug":"indian-women-question-cultural-pressure-to-stay-in-bad-marriages-as-divorce-remains-taboo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/987995\/","title":{"rendered":"Indian women question cultural pressure to stay in bad marriages as divorce remains taboo"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Souparna Arora wed her boyfriend in a lavish ceremony, she expected to have a long and happy marriage.<\/p>\n

But two years later, at the age of just 23, she found herself in a court in Delhi, India, fighting to secure a divorce.<\/p>\n

Now 45, the businesswoman says she is one of the few fortunate lucky ones.<\/p>\n

“I was so, so, so lucky in each and every way. I had the full support of my family,” Ms Arora says.<\/p>\n

\"Souparna<\/p>\n

Souparna Arora says she was fortunate to be able to leave an abusive marriage. (Supplied: Souparna Arora)<\/p>\n

“It is all because of my parents. If they hadn’t supported me, where would I have lived? I would have had to live in the same house with the guy and face the problems.”<\/p>\n

Giving up on a marriage is still frowned upon in India, which has a population of 1.5 billion and one of the lowest divorce rates in the world.<\/p>\n

According to the latest census conducted in 2011, of the 1.2 billion who took part, only 1.4 million were divorced: a total of just over 0.1 per cent.<\/p>\n

Social analysts say there is immense pressure, in particular, on women to stay in toxic relationships and “adjust” to save face.<\/p>\n

But the recent death of an influencer and model, Twisha Sharma, has sparked a conversation about what lengths a woman should go to to keep a marriage alive, especially after a statement from Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta.<\/p>\n

\"Twisha<\/p>\n

Twisha Sharma’s death has sparked conversations about divorce. (Instagram)<\/p>\n

According to Indian media, Ms Sharma, 33, died just a few months after her wedding, with conflicting reports about her death being either alleged murder or suicide.<\/p>\n

It is now the subject of an ongoing police investigation.<\/p>\n

It is widely reported that Ms Sharma had told her parents she was deeply unhappy in the marriage.<\/p>\n

Addressing the Supreme Court, the solicitor-general said parents should help women leave toxic marriages.<\/p>\n

“It is better to have a divorced daughter than a dead one,”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

he said.<\/p>\n

“One thing is clear, that the girl has lost her life, whether it is by suicide or by any other criminal [act].<\/p>\n

“When she is repeatedly saying that ‘I am living in a hell, please save me’, better to make that call rather than losing the daughter.”<\/p>\n

Family and domestic violence support services:<\/p>\n

If you need help immediately, call emergency services on triple-0.<\/p>\n

Divorce not ‘easy’ for Indian Australians<\/p>\n

When Malaysian-born Indian Australian Kavita Chabra divorced her husband after just two years of marriage, she became the first person in her family to do so.<\/p>\n

Ms Chabra, who manages events and teaches VET subjects at TAFE and university in Melbourne, married an Indian Australian man 13 years ago after a whirlwind romance.<\/p>\n

However, cracks soon started appearing in her marriage.<\/p>\n

But she chose to stay silent, not even disclosing to her friends the trouble she was facing.<\/p>\n

“As a South Asian woman, divorce wasn’t an easy decision,” Ms Chabra says.<\/p>\n

“I was just being patient and trying to rebuild.<\/p>\n

“[Maybe it] could be resolved, but nothing happened. It became worse.”<\/p>\n

\"Kavita<\/p>\n

Kavita Chabra says she does not regret her decision to end her marriage. (Supplied: Kavita Chabra)<\/p>\n

It was only when her son started getting distressed that Ms Chabra finally told her family.<\/p>\n

They advised her to keep trying.<\/p>\n

“Being the first divorce in the family \u2026 it was very hard,” she says.<\/p>\n

“Because people are judgemental and, we being South Asian, we are just so worried about what our community says.”<\/p>\n

In the end, Ms Chabra says her parents supported her decision.<\/p>\n

“Leaving took a great deal of courage, but I chose my wellbeing and my child’s future over staying in an unhealthy relationship,” she says.<\/p>\n

“I believe divorce should never be seen as a failure. Sometimes it is the healthiest decision a person can make.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Reena,<\/p>\n

Reena Rana says sometimes it is better to walk away from toxic relationships. (Supplied: Reena Rana)<\/p>\n

Melbourne woman Reena Rana started her Facebook group Indian Women in Australia in 2020 after facing a rough patch in her marriage.<\/p>\n

Ms Rana says she receives at least two calls a day from those seeking advice.<\/p>\n

The mother-of-two says she earned a reputation of being a “homebreaker” among some men despite only pointing the women towards available support resources.<\/p>\n

Loading…<\/p>\n

Ms Rana says although both partners are encouraged to stay, it often falls on the woman to “adjust” and make the marriage work.<\/p>\n

“In our community, if we have any family problems, it is a shame for us,” she says.<\/p>\n

“And it is a shame not for the men, it’s a shame for the woman.<\/p>\n

“Because as per our culture \u2026 we have been taught that it’s a woman who makes the house. It’s her responsibility to fix any problems you have in the house and maintain the relationship, be whatever the situation.”<\/p>\n

Financial independence helps brings change<\/p>\n

Priya Hingorani, a senior advocate in India’s Supreme Court, has been practising law for 36 years.<\/p>\n

Ms Hingorani has handled many high-profile cases, including that of Bollywood stars.<\/p>\n

She says while the prevailing attiude remains that marriage is for life, there is a “shift”.<\/p>\n

“There are people who still feel that marriage is forever, but that thought process is changing,” Ms Hingorani says.<\/p>\n

“There is quite a big shift in that.”<\/p>\n

\"Priya<\/p>\n

Priya Hingorani says as women become more independent, they are reluctant to stay in bad marriages. (Supplied: Priya Hingorani)<\/p>\n

She says the change is especially in the metropolitan areas.<\/p>\n

“Society is changing \u2026 particularly in the middle-class families,” Ms Hingorani says.<\/p>\n

“Women are doing really well, whether that’s in the judiciary or the IT world \u2026 and the more they are becoming financially independent, the more they are realising marriage is not forever.<\/p>\n

“If you are not getting along, then just move on.”<\/p>\n

However, Ms Hingorani says divorce is neither easy, nor quick.<\/p>\n

Unlike countries like Australia, India does not have a no-fault divorce, though there is a provision for a divorce by mutual consent.<\/p>\n

Loading…<\/p>\n

India also has different personal laws based on religion, further complicating matters.<\/p>\n

Ms Hingorani says the provisions for getting a divorce include cruelty, desertion and the partner being a “person of an unsound mind”.<\/p>\n

The backlog in courts makes it more protracted.<\/p>\n

According to the Indian government’s National Judicial Data Grid website<\/a>, there are more than 11.3 million civil cases pending.<\/p>\n

Ms Hingorrani says it can take up to three years to get a divorce.<\/p>\n

“It is very acrimonious and it is allegations and counter-allegations,” she says.<\/p>\n

“And it is very painful and emotionally distressing for the parties.”<\/p>\n

Silent divorces rising<\/p>\n

Ruchika, who asked not to use her real name for privacy reasons, is a successful woman and has been separated from her husband for nearly 20 years.<\/p>\n

But to the rest of the world, they are still a couple.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

It is becoming more common for couples to end their marriage without telling others. (Foreign Correspondent: Marty Smiley)<\/p>\n

The two live under the same roof in an Indian city, attend family functions and even travel together sometimes.<\/p>\n

Ruchika tried to leave her arranged marriage earlier, but was urged by some family members to stay, while others told her to leave.<\/p>\n

She ended up staying because she feared being worse off financially and had concerns about the potential impact on her children’s future.<\/p>\n

“My children are to get married and in India it is still a stigma if your parents are divorced,” Ruchika says.<\/p>\n

“We have made peace with it. We live in different rooms.<\/p>\n

“I feel that it’s the best situation for me. I don’t have a man in my life and my work and my kids are my world.”<\/p>\n

Arranged marriage in Australia<\/a><\/p>\n

Would you trust your parents to find you a life partner? Sydney student Meera Patel did, and she marries in January.<\/p>\n

However, Ruchika says when it is her children’s turn, she will advise them to end a bad marriage.<\/p>\n

“I would say, give it a try because there are adjustment issues at first,” she says.<\/p>\n

“But if there is something really bad, then obviously it is more important to be happy.”<\/p>\n

Ruchika agrees with the solicitor-general’s advice to support children’s decision to leave, but says it’s often hard for parents to know the real situation.<\/p>\n

“The way we raise our kids these days, they don’t know how to adjust. They just want what they want,” she says.<\/p>\n

“I am one of the kind of parents who’ll say, ‘try to adjust’. But, when you hear of these cases, you wonder whether it’s worth saying it.<\/p>\n

“You don’t want them dead, either murdered or wanting them to commit suicide.”<\/p>\n

Happy despite ‘lifelong stigma’\"Souparna<\/p>\n

Souparna Arora says she has no regrets about ending her marriage. (Supplied: Souparna Arora)<\/p>\n

For Souparna Arora, there are no regrets, though it has turned her off marriage.<\/p>\n

“When your marriage breaks, it does affect you emotionally. It is a lifelong stigma,” she says.<\/p>\n

“I have stayed in that mental trauma, so if anyone mentions marriage, I say, I am happy, I am a free bird.”<\/p>\n

She says women need to be strong to leave an abusive marriage.<\/p>\n

“Those who are lucky they can leave,” Ms Arora says.<\/p>\n

“It is better to be considered a ‘bitch’ than to be a bechari [helpless]. If you are a bechari \u2026 people won’t let you live.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When Souparna Arora wed her boyfriend in a lavish ceremony, she expected to have a long and happy…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":987996,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[2],"tags":[4740,23424,396228,396233,396229,1567,18075,396235,50,396234,16524,396230,396232,396231],"class_list":["post-987995","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","tag-australia","tag-divorce","tag-divorce-in-india","tag-divorce-rate-in-india","tag-divorce-stigma","tag-india","tag-marriage","tag-migrant-communities","tag-news","tag-no-fault-divorce","tag-south-asia","tag-south-asian-community-marriage-and-divorce","tag-why-dont-women-leave-bad-marriages","tag-women-leaving-domestic-violence"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/117057429187008214","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/987995","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=987995"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/987995\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/987996"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=987995"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=987995"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=987995"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}