Separate souls under one roof: Jordanian women's perspectives of emotional divorce

Abstract

Emotional Divorce (ED) is a relatively new concept that has garnered global attention as an unrecognized form of separation and a precursor to formal divorce. To gain a deeper understanding of Jordanian women's experience with ED, a descriptive qualitative approach was used. A purposive sample and snowballing were used to collect data from 17 married Muslim women over the age of 20 years from the north of Jordan between March and May 2021. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, face-to-face or video calls. Women were asked about the nature of their current relationship with their husbands, experiences of ED and its impacts on their health and sexual well-being. The analysis revealed several themes and sub-themes. Based on the findings, it can be inferred that the women are experiencing ED, characterized by a sense of disconnection and separation from their husbands, as evidenced by physical distance, emotional silence, and lack of intimacy. The impact of this emotional distance extends beyond the emotional realm, affecting their physical, psychological, social, and sexual well-being. Despite the pain and the difficulties they endure, women carefully weighed their options, including the risks of legal divorce, and chose to stay in their marriages for the sake of their children and of avoiding the social stigma attached to divorce.