What is ...Forced marriage?
Forced marriage is when one of the partners does not agree to the marriage and feels like they have been forced into it.
Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
Article 16 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948
Forced marriage is a form of domestic violence!
Victims are forced to marry. Their opinions are ignored, or else they don’t dare to resist because parents, family, future spouse and parents-in-law attempt to put pressure on them in various ways – in the form of physical or sexual violence, coercion in the form of threats, confinement, kidnapping, psychological and social pressure, and emotional blackmail.
Most love their parents but want to be free to make their own life decisions. This is what makes it so difficult for girls and young women to break away from their families. Counselling and aid should offer protection against violence and help the victims to deal with their conflicting feelings. They need much encouragement to be able to make the right decision for themselves.
