What is Forced Marriage?

Forced marriage refers to situations where a person or has been forced to marry without giving their consent freely, for example:

·         physical, emotional, or financial duress;

·         deception (by family members, the spouse, or others);

·         force, threats or severe pressure.

A marriage can also become a forced marriage if both parties enter with full consent but one or both are later forced to remain married against their will.

Forced marriage is defined by the UK Government Forced Marriage Unit as a marriage without the consent of one or both parties and where duress is a factor.

Arranged marriage is distinguished from forced marriage by the presence of consent of both parties. However, these marriages can become forced marriages where coercion exists, for example including exchange or trade-off marriages, servile marriages, and levirate marriages.

Exchange marriages involves an arranged, reciprocal exchange of spouses between two groups (tribes, families etc). It includes sister exchange, where two sets of siblings marry each other. In order to marry, a man must persuade his sister to marry his bride's brother. These bride exchanges often help settle debts or avoid bride price or dowry.

This kind of ‘trade off’ marriage, can also happen more overtly – a bride is provided to pay off a debt.

Servile marriage is listed in United Nations’ Conventions as “a practice similar to slavery.” Servile marriage involves a person being sold, transferred or inherited into a marriage. A young woman might be sold for money or other payment, or could be sold on to someone else or be inherited by another person if her husband dies. They are sometimes forced to marry wealthy, often older, men to become sexual and domestic slaves. (A levirate marriage is where the brother of a deceased man and the man's widow are obliged to marry.)

Anti-Slavery International points out that a form of servile marriage is practiced in Ethiopia: a man rapes an underage girl, then goes to her father and demands the girl as his wife. Both father and rape victim must agree, as supposedly no other man will marry her.

Forced marriage disproportionately affects women in the UK. Men account for 26% of victims, and are particularly represented in cases where the victim has mental capacity concerns (57% of males).

More than five cases each week are reported to the UK Forced Marriage Unit. It’s not hard to see why this number of forced marriages would be hugely understated. (Karma Nirvana’s helpline provided support to 417 individuals facing forced marriage, plus 210 children aged 12 months to 17 years). And whilst many reporting to the Forced Marriage Unit were underaged (25%):

• 18% were aged 18 to 21

• 16% were aged 22 to 25

• 15% were aged 26 to 30

• 25% were aged 31 and over

  (Balance is age unknown)

Countries with the largest number of cases of forced marriages reported to the FMU, in order:

• Pakistan

  The most common UK regions linked to cases involving Pakistan were the West Midlands, North West, and Yorkshire and The Humber, together accounting for 63% of these cases.

• Bangladesh

  London was the region involving the largest number of cases linked to Bangladesh.

• Afghanistan

  London was the region involving the largest number of cases linked to Afghanistan.

• India

  (Regional statistics unknown)

• UK

  Forced marriages do take place in the UK: 7 of the 10 reported victims were female, and all 10 victims were aged 19 and over.