Remarriages in South and Southeast Asia
Divorce, separation, and remarriages are closely interlinked. Those who are divorced or separated constitute the pool of potential candidates for remarriage. Significantly, prevailing societal patterns, norms, and attitudes concerning remarriage substantially influence divorce rates. In the past, a key reason for high divorce rates in Islamic Southeast Asia was acceptance and ease of remarriage. Divorce rates have remained low in countries like India, where remarriages are difficult. Rising divorce rates (though from a low base for countries in South Asia) are likely to have increased remarriage rates.
Remarriages result from a complex interplay of individual, familial, social, institutional, and legal factors. In the two regions, many women view remarriage as a strategy to overcome the constraints and stigma of divorce, aligning with societal expectations, and as means to address the vulnerabilities they face as divorced or separated women. This is evident in contexts like India, where women articulate their remarriage desires using the concept of "majburi," invoking vulnerability and justifying the need for remarriage (Grover, 2011)
While anthropological and qualitative studies have shed light on the dynamics of remarriage, demographic analysis is constrained by limited data on marital histories. Dommaraju and Rajasingama (2023), using interval-censored analysis across eight countries in the two regions, estimate remarriage percentages within the first twenty years of first marriage. Percent of women remarrying ranged from 19% (Thailand) to under 5% (Bangladesh). Among those who are divorced or separated, around 80% of women remarry in Indonesia, and about 55% do so in Bangladesh. In almost all countries, women with lower education had higher remarriage rates. Further work is needed to examine the trends across countries and differentials within countries.
Further readings:
Dommaraju, P., & Rajasingam, S. (2023). Remarriages in South and Southeast Asia. Paper presented at the Population Association of Singapore (PAS) conference, Singapore, May 2023.
Grover, S. (2011). “Purani aur nai shaadi” : Separation, divorce, and remarriage in the lives of the urban poor in New Delhi. Asian Journal of Women’s Studies, 17, 67–99.
