Almost all cases of divorce were filed by women in the past. But with the introduction of the new civil and criminal codes in August 17, 2018, the number of men filing for divorce has risen. This has led to an increase in the number of divorces filed in Kailali.

Since the introduction of the new code, a total of 171 divorce cases have been registered at the Kailali District Court, of which 67 cases were filed by men.

 “With the implementation of the new civil and criminal code in the country, men have actively started seeking divorce,” said Nara Bahadur Negi, a section officer at the court. “Foreign employment, misuse of social media and child marriage are the major causes behind the rise in divorce cases.”

Under the new civil and criminal code, a man can file for divorce directly at the court as opposed to when men seeking divorce had to file the case at the local body, after which it would be forwarded to the court only if deemed reasonable after a year. For women, the process is simpler. They can directly go to the court with their divorce.

The number of divorce cases filed by men, according to legal practitioners, is rising due to the easy legal provisions brought by the implementation of the new civil and criminal code.

As per the record available at the court, 151 people filed for divorce in the fiscal year 2016/17, while the number rose to 193 in 2017/18 in Kailali district. Within nine months of the current fiscal year, 195 people have filed for divorce in the district.