The Maldives’ dirty little secret

THEY call it the “sunny side of life”, but if the figures are anything to go by, this island paradise is more like the bitter side of life.

While the Maldives, a set of 1200 islands nestled within the Indian Ocean, is set along a background of beaches, blue lagoons, and tropical bliss, it holds a Guiness World Record that might come as a surprise.

While the islands are a sought-after attraction for the perfectly picturesque wedding, its locals haven’t quite mastered the art of monogamy, and so it’s earned the trophy for the highest divorce rate in the world.

In fact, the UN says the average 30-year-old Maldivian woman has been divorced — wait for it — THREE times. That’s 11 divorces per 1000 people. Every. Single. Year.

The rate is twice as high as second placed Belarus. The United States, sitting pretty in third place, are less than half of the Maldives’ numbers with approximately four divorces per thousand.

And if you thought those figures were depressing enough, the reason why takes the cake (and not the wedding variety).

is severely frowned upon. So by the time kids turn 18, they’re simply just incredibly “horny”, Anthony Marcus, chair of the anthropology department at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, told Ozy.com.

So the easy — and respectable — way to get laid is to simply just get married. According to Mr Marcus, weddings aren’t such a big deal in the Maldives. Ten bucks will get you a judge, a marriage certificate, and a license to get freaky in the sheets.
Then again, the honeymoon doesn’t always last — and so the country finds itself spinning around a wheel of broken hearts — and eventually, broken marriages.

And if you couldn’t tell — getting a divorce in the country is relatively easy; if you’re a guy, especially so.

A Maldivian man simply needs to state he is getting a divorce out loud and in front of a witness. No messy paperwork here. Yet a woman can only seek divorce through the courts — and if a judge agrees the grounds are justified.

The good news among all this marriage mess? The U.N. and the Maldivian government are now offering counselling to those who care to give the relationship a red hot crack. Results though, are yet to be seen.

But hey, if it doesn’t work out, at least there’s plenty of fish in the sea, right?