In this episode, we hear from listener Kheyali, who is struggling with wearing the "divorcee" label as a young woman in India. The divorce rate may have doubled in the country over the past two decades but at around 1%, it's still very low – and widely frowned upon. Women bear the brunt of society's judgement. They're most often blamed for marriage breakdowns and find themselves penalized for being without a husband even in seemingly simple things like trying to get their own apartment. Kheyali asks how she can overcome labels attached to being single and divorced at 30? How can she stand up to those who blame her for the end of her marriage? To help answer these questions, comedian and actor Kaneez Surka joins Evelyn to provide her insights into tackling the stigma and shame associated with being divorced India, the strength it takes to leave a marriage, and the joy and freedom one can find in learning to be on their own again.
Tune in!
Show notes:
Evelyn Sharma's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evelyn_sharma/
Kaneez Surka’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaneezsurka/

Executive Producer: Melanie von Marschalck
Lead Producer: Jennifer Collins
Producer and Lead Research: Sana Rizvi
Assistant Producers: Nicolas Martin
DW Format and Product Development: Laura Döing
Sound Engineer: Thomas Schmidt
Editorial Support: Snigdha Sharma, Anant Nath Sharma, Shashank Bhargava