Earlier time, India used to have one of the lowest divorce rates in the world. Being a society largely based on a traditional value system, couples were both legally and socially dissuaded from seeking a divorce. However, socio-economic changes complemented by legal reforms in the last half a century, have enabled partners, especially women, to opt out of unequal and abusive marriages.

The wave of globalization in the nineties ushered in further changes in the Indian social institutions, especially in urban areas. Couples living and working in cities and metros, were exposed to more eco[..]