Kerala's First Divorce Camp: Women 'Break Free' From Marriages, Celebrate Freedom Together

Divorce is a common phenomenon in today's time. While earlier generations believed in continuing a relationship regardless of the effort put into it, this generation is more about accepting the way things are and moving on. While neither of these approaches is right or wrong, there are still taboos going on around the term 'divorce', mainly for women.

Calicut-based content creator, Rafia Afi organises the first 'Divorcee Camp' 

Time and again, we have seen a woman being questioned for her unsuccessful marriage, more than a man ever gets to answer the same. This is not a generalising way to claim it, but rather, a pattern, and this is what we have witnessed often. However, recently, a group of women broke the barriers as they celebrated their unsuccessful marriages through a little party, where they not only laughed like little babies but also acknowledged their rocky ways in marriages.

The end of a marriage, be it for any reason, can't be the end of the world. Believing in it, Calicut-based content creator Rafia Afi recently took a beautiful initiative to organise a 'Divorcee camp' in Ernakulam. The initiative was named Break Free Stories, and it was for those women who had been widowed, divorced or separated. The group of women barely knew each other, but instantly connected over their shared experiences, and a viral video from the 'Divorcee camp' was enough to flip the coin for many, who believe that to end a marriage is to live on the edge.

The 'Divorcee Camp' was a non-judgmental space for healing

The camp took place in May 2025, with 17 women participating. They all travelled in a bus and reached a hill station. They stayed in tents and spent two days like never before. As per The Nod magazine, one of the attendees was Sofiya, who revealed being married at the age of 17. Her parents married her off due to her dark complexion. However, she had the courage to end her marriage in 2023. Following this, she was on an antidepressant for six months, and now that she was out of this camp, she revealed being in a place of healing as she even stopped attending family events, fearing judgements.

The organiser revealed why she launched the 'Divorcee camp'

Rafia Ali, a divorcee herself, mentioned that getting divorced in Kerala is often met with raised eyebrows, and people often respond with 'Ayyo'. Afi said that she did not want people to feel sorry for her, as it was her decision to end the marriage.

Rafia further mentioned that she believed in the power of sisterhood to heal broken hearts, and this belief motivated her to launch the camp. When she first announced this on Instagram, she received hundreds of queries. After May, another campaign was launched in June 2025, which included several more activities. A female lawyer, who is also Afi's friend, joined the camp. She told The Nod about her experience in the camp and shared how happy she was with the initiative, as the lawyer herself lost her mother to domestic violence. The third camp just ended, while the fourth camp is scheduled for July 19 and 20.

Watch the video here.

What do you think about the Divorcee camp?

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