Forced marriage
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Forced marriage is a term used to describe a marriage in which one or more of the parties (usually the woman) is married without his/her consent or against his/her will. It is different from an arranged marriage, in which both parties consent to the assistance of their parents or a third party in identifying a spouse. The practice of forced marriage was very common amongst the upper classes in Europe until the 1900s.[citation needed] It is still a common problem in South Asia, the Middle East and Africa and Eastern Europe. Forced marriage is being seen in Europe again within migrant communities.
Western society and the UN view forced marriage is a form of human rights abuse, since it violates the principle of the freedom and autonomy of individuals. Women of Asian origin are the most common victims, but men are also forced to marry in the name of family pride, wishes of the parents, or social obligation. According to Ruqayyah Waris Maqsood, many forced marriages in Britain within the Asian community are aimed at providing British citizenship to a member of the family presently in the Indian subcontinent to whom the instigator of the forced marriage feels a sense of duty.[1]
The Roman Catholic Church deems forced marriage grounds for granting an annulment - for a marriage to be valid both parties must give their consent freely. Most catholics and other christians consider forcing a person to marry someone is a grave sin.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- BBC News story: Forced marriage 'could be banned'
- The UK Government's joint Home Office/Foreign & Commonwealth Office Forced Marriage Unit: Forced Marriage Unit
