Shasvathi Siva’s video and support group on Instagram help erase the stigma around divorce

Shasvathi says the silence on divorce and divorcees must stop to help women walk out of abusive marriages

When danseuse Methil Devika filed for divorce, it created ripples in the media in Kerala. She had to tackle a storm of questions about what should have been a private matter between her and her husband, actor-turned-politician Mukesh, MLA of Kollam. The same voyeuristic interest was evident when Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao announced their divorce. While celebrity break-ups are snapped up as breaking news even in the age of COVID-19 and other pressing matters, divorce is still spoken about in hushed voices in most of India. Until recently, most films portrayed women divorcees as vamps, home-breakers, and children of a lesser god. For many women, divorce is a traumatic period when she is judged for walking out of a marriage, no matter how toxic it might be. Copywriter Shasvathi Siva experienced it when she was dealing with her divorce in 2019.