ABSTRACT
The changing slum society has provided greater options for women compared to their rural counterparts. Flexibility of social control against divorce, dysfunction of the lineage, weaker familial ties and increased options for female labour participation are working as positive forces which give women greater freedom. Slum women are more likely to be able to avoid serious domestic violence, like homicide and suicide, by rejecting unfavourable marital ties or by re-partnering. Despite these factors, overall, women appear to be suffering from the increasingly unstable and uncertain nature of marriage. Children, too, are faring badly. The impact of marital instability on children may also be severe. Slum stepchildren are often treated poorly, receiving inadequate food, health care and education. Moreover, if their mothers are living alone without taking another partner, they are forced to become one of the household's economic contributors and to forgo educational opportunities. If they have been adopted by other elderly relatives, they may also be treated badly compared to those relative's own children. These situations may severely hamper their social and human development. Thus the negative consequences of marital instability and family breakdown are farreaching, affecting not only the husband and wife, but also the next generation - their children.
