Forced Marriage and Health

Abstract

A forced marriage is a marriage into which either one or both spouses have been coerced without their consent. Coercion can include physical, psychological, financial, sexual and emotional pressure from relatives who regard a refusal to marry the person of their choice as a stain on the family’s honour (Meetoo and Mirza, 2007). Where an individual lacks the capacity to consent, coercion is not required for a marriage to be forced (Home Office and Foreign & Commonwealth Office, 2014a). Forced marriage should be distinguished from arranged marriage. An arranged marriage is a tradition where families take a leading role in bringing the two parties together and organising the ceremony; however the final decision rests with both spouses to be and they both must agree freely and without any pressure (Home Office and Foreign & Commonwealth Office, 2014a). This editorial concentrates on forced marriage but, as we shall see, it can sometimes be difficult to consider forced and arranged marriage separately.