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Divorce is often seen as a shameful and stigmatized process in many cultures. However, in Mauritania, it is celebrated and considered a reason for women to rejoice and announce their availability for remarriage. Women in this West African nation have been gathering together for many centuries to eat, sing, and dance at each other’s divorce parties. Nowadays, these celebrations have been updated to cater to the selfie generation with inscribed cakes and social media montages, combined with the traditional food and music.
In Mauritania, almost 100% of the population is Muslim, and the divorce rate is high. Many people have gone through five to ten marriages, and some have even had 20. Estimating the exact divorce rate in the country is difficult as most divorce agreements are verbal and not documented.
According to Nejwa El Kettab, a sociologist researching women in Mauritanian society, divorce is prevalent due to the majority Maure community’s strong “matriarchal tendencies” inherited from their Berber ancestors. Compared to other Muslim countries, women in Mauritania have greater freedom and can pursue a “matrimonial career.” Divorced women are experienced and are deemed desirable, increasing their value on the marriage market.
Divorce is often a liberating experience for women and offers them the freedom of choice they may not have enjoyed during their first marriage. In Mauritania, the elders often select the groom, and daughters are married off while still young, leaving them little choice in their life partner. When divorce happens, women can legally initiate it under certain circumstances, and although men often officially file, divorce is often at the women’s insistence. Women typically get priority in child custody, and society supports divorced women, making it easier for them to move on in life.
Divorce parties in Mauritania are a way for family and friends to show support for the newly divorced woman. Iselekhe Jeilaniy, a young woman living in Mauritania, had a divorce party the day after her divorce was finalized due to her husband’s excessive jealousy. Her family threw her a party to celebrate her new status. Women in Mauritanian society see divorce as an opportunity to start over, build independence, and advance their careers. Mauritanians have openness to divorce, coexisting with very traditional practices when it comes to first marriages.
Many women in Mauritania never intended to get divorced, but they find that their circle supports them and eases the transition. Divorce parties nowadays are often up-to-date with social media, and women can even post about their divorce on Snapchat instead of traditional announcements. Women in Mauritania are not judged for being divorced; instead, they are celebrated
