|
What is a forced marriage?
A forced marriage is one where one or both parties are coerced into a marriage against their will and under duress. Duress includes both physical and emotional pressure. Forced marriage is an abuse of human rights and cannot be justified on any religious or cultural basis. It is of course very different from arranged marriages, where both parties give their full and free consent to the marriage. The tradition of arranged marriages has operated successfully within many communities and many countries for a long time.
The Government takes forced marriage very seriously. It is a form of domestic abuse and an abuse of the human rights. Victims can suffer many forms of physical and emotional damage including being held unlawfully captive assaulted and repeatedly raped.
Definition of an arranged marriage
Families of both spouses take a leading role in arranging the marriage, but the choice whether to accept the arrangement remains with the individuals.
Definition of a forced marriage
A marriage, which is conducted without the consent of both parties, where duress is a factor.
Motives Prompting Forced Marriage
Parents who force their children to marry often justify their behaviour as protecting their children, building stronger families and preserving cultural or religious traditions. They do not see anything wrong in their actions. Forced marriage cannot be justified on religious grounds; every major faith condemns it and freely given consent is a prerequisite of Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim and Sikh marriages.
|
Often parents believe that they are upholding the cultural traditions of their home country, when in fact practices and values there have changed. Some parents come under significant pressure from their extended families to get their children married. In some instances, an agreement may have been made about marriage when a child is in their infancy.
Some of the key motives that have been identified are:
- Controlling unwanted behaviour and sexuality (including perceived promiscuity, or being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender) – particularly the behaviour and sexuality of women.
- Protecting ‘family honour’.
- Responding to peer group or family pressure.
- Attempting to strengthen family links.
- Ensuring land, property and wealth remain within the family.
- Protecting perceived cultural ideas, which are misguided.
- Preventing ‘unsuitable’ relationships e.g. outside the ethnic, cultural, religious or caste group.
- Assisting claims for residence and citizenship.
- Fulfilling long standing family commitments
While it is important to have an understanding of the motives that drive parents to force their children to marry, these motives should not be accepted as justification for denying them the right to choose a marriage partner. Forced marriage should be recognised as a human rights abuse.
|
