Forced marriage (2007)

'A woman's right to choose a spouse and enter freely into marriage is central to her life and her dignity and equality as a human being'

(General Recommendation No. 21, CEDAW)

Arranged marriage is often confused with forced marriage. Arranged marriages occur with the consent of both parties involved. They can decide not to marry the other person for whatever reason. Forced marriages occur without the consent of one or both of the parties involved. Consent is a prerequisite of marriage in all faiths, including the Sikh, Hindu, Muslim and Christian faiths.

There are many reasons used to justify forced marriages. In countries where families own land, women are forced to marry in order to keep the land within the family or to secure other assets. In poorer countries, women and girls may be married off to pay outstanding debts. In the UK young women with non-Western cultural backgrounds may be forced into marriage with men from their country of origin because of a perceived shift to them becoming 'too Westernised'.

The Forced Marriage Unit deals with approximately between 250 -300 cases of forced marriage every year, 30% of which involve minors. Often women are duped into going to their countries of origin on the pretext of a holiday. They are then forced into marriage. One young woman was told she was going to Bangladesh to help her sick father. When she arrived she found her father in perfect health. He forced her into marriage. Three months later she escaped from the isolated village back to London ( The Guardian).

By definition, the marriage of any child is a forced marriage, as children cannot legally give consent. Child marriage is most prevalent in African and South Asian countries.

Article 25 in the Constitution of Pakistan 1973 and Articles 27, 28 and 31 in the Constitution of Bangladesh 1972 afford women equality equal treatment under the law and non-discrimination on the ground of gender.

There are cultures that believe that the virginity of a woman will preserve or restore their family's honour, so young women or girls are married as young as possible, often to men that are significantly older than themselves.

In 2005 the UNFPA estimated that 100 million girls will marry in the next decade. The incidence of child marriage in Niger is 76%, and a 2005 report from UNICEF estimated that 42% of all girls will marry before the age of 18.

Where girls are involved in child marriage, the negative effects on their lives are disproportionate to boys because of the gender biases in favour of boys in their communities. Girls may be forced into pregnancy as soon as their periods have started which may result in complications at birth as their bodies have not fully developed. Girls that were previously attending school have their educations cut short. Lack of education and no access to contraception also puts girls at increased risk of STIs and HIV.

In communities where there is a shortage of women and girls because of a skew in gender, girls are often married not only to one man but also to other male relatives, including her father-in-law, resulting in high levels of rape, physical and sexual abuse.

In January 2007 the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Bill received support from the House of Lords but not from the Government. It would have offered victims or third parties the possibility of securing injunctions preventing forced marriages.

The Forced Marriage Unit has issued guidance and advice for young women that may be a risk of forced marriage, especially if they are due to travel. Click here for more information.

ORGANISATIONS & WEBSITES

Ashiana Project

http://www.ashiana.org.uk/

BBC - Forced Marriage

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/ethics/forcedmarriage

Forced Marriage Unit

http://www.fco.gov.uk/forcedmarriage

FORWARD

http://www.forwarduk.org.uk/key-issues/child-marriage

Kiran Asian Women's Aid

http://www.rdlogo.com/cwp/kawa

Southall Black Sisters