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Number of divorce cases rising: Halimah Yacob

Unreasonable behaviour, financial woes and domestic violence are some of the problems cited by couples when filing for divorce, according to a report by Channel NewsAsia (CNA).

Speaking in parliament on Wednesday, Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports Halimah Yacob said that the number of divorces has risen from 6,800 in 2008 to 7,000 in 2010.

Halimah added that young couples -- aged 20 and below -- have higher chances of experiencing a failed marriage.

However she shared that there is currently an array of programmes offered by voluntary welfare organisations and the National Family Council to "help families to remain intact and to help marriages to remain strong".

According to Professor Tan Ngoh Tiong, dean of the school of human development and social services in UniSIM, the number of divorces may be rising due to the increasing independence of women in today's society and their partners' inability to accept this.

"With [the] empowerment of women, there is [a] need to adjust to a more equitable sharing of marital roles and decision making," he said in an email response to Yahoo! Singapore.

Tan also noted that in present times, there is a greater social acceptance of divorce and less social pressure to stay in a problem marriage.

When asked how couples can build a more sustainable and stable relationship, Tan advised that couples should improve the resilience of their marriages by having mutual commitment and focus on valuing the relationship and each other.

They should also foster greater inter-dependence, care and support to develop the ability to deal with conflict and willingness to forgive each other.

"[The] preventive strategy is to be more prepared for marriage through pre-marital counseling and courses. Seek help early [through] counselling, family services and personal development," he said.