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Objectives:

1. Identify forced marriage
2. Identify intersections between forced marriage and trafficking
3. Explore remedies for forced marriage
4. Discuss policies to protect forced marriage survivors and prevent forced marriage
5. Discuss the Australian model as a case study

WHY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THIS?
• Forced marriage is a form of violence against women in its own right.
• Forced marriage is just one part of a spectrum of other harms.
• Forced marriage cases can have elements of trafficking and human trafficking survivors may have experienced a forced marriage.

HAVE YOU COME ACROSS FORCED MARRIAGE IN YOUR WORK?

FORCED MARRIAGE – STORY OF L. 

L. is a mother of two teenaged daughters.   

L.’s husband began to arrange marriages for his two daughters.

L. and her daughters did not agree.

When they challenged him, he isolated them and beat them. 

L. and her daughters fled, and are currently in hiding.

FORCED MARRIAGE – STORY OF R.

When R. was 15 years old, her mother borrowed money from an older family friend to support R. and her siblings.

The family friend believed that R. was promised to him in return.   

He came to R.’s home multiple times, threatening to rape R. if she did not marry him.  

R. was terrified and escaped to the United States alone.

FORCED MARRIAGE – STORY OF F

When she was 19, F.’s family arranged a marriage for her.   

She and her husband were not allowed to be alone before marriage.   

F.’s husband became abusive very soon after they married.   

F. tried to obtain a restraining order, but the community pressured her to drop it and reconcile. 

After 12 years, F. fled with her two daughters.   

Her family shunned her and declared her dead.

DEFINING FORCED MARRIAGE

A marriage that takes place without the free and full consent of one or both of the intended spouses.

Lack of free and full consent:  Younger than the legal age to marry (child marriage)  Incapacity or disability  Force, fraud, or coercion

Includes marriages that have already happened or may happen in the future

TERMINOLOGY

Love marriage or freewill marriage

Arranged marriage

Forced marriage

WHY FORCED MARRIAGE HAPPENS

Control Unwanted Behavior and Protect Family Reputation  Control body and sexuality 

Prevent unsuitable relationships 

Suppressing LGBTQ identity 

Suppressing independence 

Reaction to an individual being too “westernized”  

Reaction to rape 

Honoring a prior arrangement/commitment

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