n northwest Pakistan, many women and girls are forced into marriages based on an outlawed custom named ghag, where a man can forcibly claim a woman as his intended wife. The Guardian sheds light on Inteha Bibi’s story.

The weight of tradition

Inteha Bibi’s life journey is marked by resilience, defiance, and the continuous struggle against the suffocating grip of tradition. From the age of 12, she faced the looming threat of forced marriage after a man claimed her to be his intended wife. Although this proposal was rejected by her and her family, the custom states that she cannot marry anyone else. The man’s brother tried to enforce the tradition by attempting to kidnap Inteha Bibi from her house in 2019. She even had to call off her engagement to the man of her dreams to demand further action before the court.

“I am a human, and I have all rights to get engaged and married to whoever I want. I am a woman, not a toy, and I don’t want to be married to someone forcibly.” – Inteha Bibi

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