The Split:

Ms Ng Sze Sze first met her husband through a mutual friend around 2003. They dated for about three years before getting married in 2006, later having their first and only daughter in 2007. But not every marriage has a happy ending. In September 2021, the couple went their separate ways due to acts of adultery from her husband.

While the adultery was the straw that broke the camel’s back, Ms Ng also mentioned how things between her and her husband were just not working out due to a variety of reasons. Among other things, she was a career woman prior to the marriage but had become a housewife for the sake of her family.

Divorcees in Singapore have been increasing as the years go by, but there’s also a significant gap between the divorced women and divorced men that seems to only be getting wider.

Based on SingStat’s data, in 1984, there were 1500 divorced women and 1100 divorced men. However, in 2024, there were a total of 27,000 divorced women, while there were only 16,600 divorced men in the same year.

Ms Cassandra Chiu, a psychotherapist, counsellor, and the founder of the Safe Harbor said, women tend to be more vulnerable emotionally, so when they are hurt, "it takes a longer time to bounce back."

She goes on to say that many divorcees tend to have trouble adjusting and can even develop depression, anxiety or low self-esteem due to the divorce, which is when they seek out her guidance.

According to a Straits Times article, some divorcees struggle with feeling like “damaged goods” or face stigmatisation when they try to start dating again. While the stigma has eased up over the years, it is still very present and a large reason why many divorcees are less keen on seeking help and opening up to others about the separation.

Another possible conclusion from the data is the factor of remarriage, changing their marital status from ‘divorced’ to ‘married’ again, thus being excluded from the above data.

After most divorces, mothers do get the responsibility and care of the child, said Ms Chiu. “I think that leaves them less time to go and date or even think about having the head space for another relationship when they have to deal with one, two or three growing children.”

Furthermore, according to the Straits Times, children of divorce are irreparably traumatised by the separation. This indicates that co-parents or single parents will need to give more attention to their children, leaving so little time for themselves, much less any romantic prospects.

After her divorce, Ms Ng started working again and took up two jobs, one as a tuition teacher and another as an administrative officer, to support herself and her daughter. To this day, Ms Ng has no plans to remarry.