Forced marriage

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Forced marriage is a term used in the Occident to describe traditional arranged marriages in which one or more of the parties (usually the woman) is married without his/her consent or against his/her will. By modern Western standards, is is a form of human rights abuse; specifically, forced marriage violates the principle of the freedom and autonomy of individuals.

Women of Asian origin are major victims in the West but men are also forced to go through it in the name of family pride, wishes of the parents, or social obligation. The practice of forced marriage is prevalent around the world in some or other form and has a significant presence in South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe. It has been known in the West in the past.

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