"Arranged marriages only have a divorce rate of 4 per cent compared to Australia which is of course about 40 per cent."
Hi Ray... I can't speak for all situations but I am familiar with this issue to some degree through personal experiences women have shared with me.
Do you know why many arranged marriage do not end?
In some countries or cultures a woman CAN'T request a divorce (even in horrible, cruel and abusive relationships). Often she will be shunned, and there are cases where she will be killed if she tries to leave an arranged marriage.
One woman I know from a particular Indian culture and belief system said that in her culture it is better to commit suicide than to try to leave a bad marriage. She said in many families, to leave is to dishonor one's family, to be shunned for life, to never be able to speak with one's family ever again. Many women in these situations have no property, money or means of survival.
Even in the United States there are arranged marriages in families from Eastern cultures who embrace these beliefs. Based on information I have personally received from women in these situations, often these families make huge sacrifices to come here knowing that it will ensure a large dowry/bride price (which are technically illegal in some places but still very much exist). For a woman to request a divorce is unthinkable for these women. It is brings dishonor and shame to one's parents in ways with which we in the west are largely unfamiliar.
Are there some arranged marriages that work out and are truly partnerships full of love and happiness? I know of one... I'm sure it happens regularly but I struggle when the suggestion is made that arranged marriages are somehow happier or better than marriages that are entered into because of love, care, and a desire to share one's life with another.
~dancer~