S’ inspirér
The figures speak for themselves
While these stories are whispers, the numbers shout.
• Divorce is on the rise. In 2022, 1,238 divorces were granted, equal to a rate of 3.9 per 1,000 population, up from 2.6 in 2011 according to Statistics Mauritius. Around one-third of them involve dependent children
• Parenthood outside marriage is growing. The Minister of Gender Equality confirms that between 2000 and 2011, the number of unmarried parents nearly doubled, from 2,100 to 3,700.
• The law is shifting. In 2023, Mauritius’ Supreme Court decriminalised same-sex relationships. While same-sex unions aren’ t recognised yet, the decision marked a regional milestone.
But here’ s the thing:“ blended” sounds smooth. Kind of like a bananastrawberry smoothie. Families aren’ t smoothies. They’ re a lot like chatini pomme d’ amour. Chunks colliding, sometimes complementing, sometimes clashing. It’ s messy. But you know what? Somehow, it works.
What it means for Mauritius
The Mauritian community as a whole has always been built around family. Big Sunday lunches where three generations squeeze around the same table. Weddings where the guest list feels like half the village. Grandparents stepping in as second parents, the quiet glue in so many households. And even as households change shape, the family unit remains the anchor.
Yes, divorce rates are climbing. Yes, remarriages and step-families are more visible. Yes, same-sex couples are beginning to live more openly. But has any of this really dismantled the family ideal? Or is it simply reshaping it, stretching it, bending it to fit new realities?
Family psychologist Olivia Rougier- Lagane explains:“ Family has always been at the core of Mauritian identity through tradition, religion, and community. That hasn’ t disappeared, but it has surely softened. The pressures of modern life, whether divorce, remarriage, migration, and even greater openness around sexuality, are reshaping what family looks like in Mauritius. At the same time, family remains pivotal in our society, not only emotionally but practically. Rising costs mean intergenerational households are still common, with parents, siblings, and grandparents living together under one roof. And yet, we’ re seeing less pressure to link partnership only with children, as more people are choosing different paths. So the mould is changing, but the need for family, in whatever form, is still deeply present.”
It may not look like Ross and Rachel. Or Nemo’ s dad. Or the Dunphys in Modern Family. But it’ s ours. Rooted in tradition, shaped by change. A chunky chatini pomme d’ amour that somehow just makes sense.
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