1. World problems
  2. Forced marriage

Forced marriage

  • Denial of right of choice in marriage
  • Marriage without consent
  • Imposition of marital choice by parents
  • Levirate marriages

Nature

Customs of forced marriage include: the paying of a bride-price; child marriage; concubinage; and abduction. Also included are arranged marriages where neither the man or the woman, or where just the woman, has no choice in the matter. In forced marriage it is usually the woman who is denied the freedom of choice.

Incidence

Bride-price, child marriage and the inheritance of widows occur in traditional tribal society, mainly in Africa. Concubinage exists in Africa, but also in Asia and Arabia. Abduction, enticement and blackmail play an important part in the acquisition of concubines, apart from their being bought and sold. Abduction, the blackmail of parents, and forced marriage is a traditional pattern in Sicily. Arranged marriages still occur in Asia, where parental domination is strong. The French press carries regular reports of young girls and women taken out of school to be sent to their home countries as involuntary brides, particularly from North African communities in France.

Levirate marriage is the custom of compulsory marriage of a man to the widow of his childless brother. Here the first male offspring of the marriage becomes the heir of the deceased brother. The custom is particular to the Hebrew culture and some others.

Claim

An involuntary or forced marriage which lacks the free consent of both parties, particularly in the case of a young child, is a violation of essential human rights and a form of slavery with regard to the person who is forced to participate in the marriage.

Broader

Narrower

Concubinage
Yet to rate

Aggravates

Marital rape
Excellent
Illegal marriage
Presentable
Human dependence
Presentable
Child-marriage
Presentable
Honour killing
Yet to rate

Aggravated by

Tribalism
Presentable

Related

Slavery
Excellent
Prostitution
Excellent

Strategy

Forcing marriage
Yet to rate

Value

Self-denial
Yet to rate
Imposition
Yet to rate
Forced
Yet to rate
Denial
Yet to rate
Choice
Yet to rate

SDG

Sustainable Development Goal #1: No PovertySustainable Development Goal #16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions

Metadata

Database
World problems
Type
(D) Detailed problems
Subject
  • Policy-making » Policy
  • Societal problems » Deprivation
  • Societal problems » Maltreatment
  • Society » Marriage
  • Society » Maternity, paternity
  • Content quality
    Presentable
     Presentable
    Language
    English
    Last update
    Feb 4, 2024