When Jasmine Siang was 36, her 12-year marriage ended.
Like many women who go through a divorce, her world crumbled. She had just given birth to her fourth child, and then, she found herself alone, trying to navigate both heartbreak and single motherhood.
“I was pushing 40 with four children, but no husband to care for me. I asked myself, ‘Am I still desirable?’. I hated myself for the divorce,” the 54-year-old told CNA Women.
According to the Singapore Department of Statistics, 7,382 marriages in Singapore ended in divorce or annulment in 2024 – a 3.7 per cent increase from the 7,118 cases in 2023. And for every 1,000 married women, 5.7 went through a divorce last year.
Behind those numbers are women like Siang, who, despite the heartbreak of divorce, still long for companionship, intimacy, and the chance to start over.
LOOKING FOR LOVE DESPITE THE FEAR AND SHAME
One of the hurdles to dating after divorce is practicality. Balancing work, childcare, and household responsibilities can make dating feel like a tedious, extra task.
Violet Lim, co-founder and chief executive officer of matchmaking platform Lunch Actually, has seen this among her clients: “Many divorced women want to find love, but making the time to meet someone new feels too much in an already hectic life.”
Professional relationship coach Anisa Hassan, co-founder of matchmaking platform Date High Flyers, said, like everyone else, divorced women long for companionship. But taking the first step feels overwhelming because beyond logistics lies something deeper: Fear.
For Zahra, a single mum of two, that fear is all-encompassing.
“When I think about meeting other men, I’m scared,” the 31-year-old educator, who did not want to reveal her full name, told CNA Women. “I fear that my next relationship will be like my marriage, or that people will judge me for wanting a relationship when I have two kids to care for.”
Sharls Stewart, a 30-year-old who separated from her ex-husband after two years of marriage, said she was fearful of not being able to trust again. She told CNA Women that her marriage had been “traumatic due to a painful betrayal”.
“I have this fear that I’ll never be able to open up, or that even if I do, I’ll always get hurt,” the youth worker added.
