Secret Marriages and Serial Divorce in Mauritania

Secret Marriages and Serial Divorce in Mauritania

In a small textile shop set back from a sandy road near an overpass in the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott, three women in their 30s and 40s are chatting animatedly, passing the afternoon sipping sweet green tea on the carpeted floor, which is stacked high with piles of veils. One of the women, Nevissa, 45, has recently finalized her ninth divorce, and her friends Tuti and Khana are celebrating with her. (Like all those we interview for this piec…