Introduction
So many people tend to think that arranged marriage is the same as forced marriage but that is not the case. Arranged marriage should never be confused with forced marriage. In an arranged marriage, the bride and the groom might not know each other but they willingly accept to be united with the other party to be a couple. In an arranged marriage, both parties come together and are associated with the final say of the marriage matter. Therefore, although the partners are chosen by the family or parents, they do not make it a must for it to happen.
Forced marriage, on the other hand, is a type of marriage whereby the groom and the bride are selected by specific members of the family. If the groom or the bride does not agree to the marriage, they are threatened, bullied, abused physically and also emotionally. Sometimes the victims of the forced marriages do not even know when they are getting married. All marriage preparations are hidden and secret. They only notice when they are told that "today is your wedding" in forced marriage, both the groom and the bride might be victims of the forced marriage or one party can be the point of force. Mostly, the woman is the one who falls a victim of forced marriage if both parties are not victims.
Why do forced marriages exist and happen?
Forced marriages mean that one or both the groom and the wife does not agree with the
wedding plans. It might be because the victim is too young, they do not agree to such things or they just do not feel like it. In a forced marriage, even if the victim refuses, they are faced with threats and abuses until they are left with no choice but submit to the marriage plans. The two people or one of them might be subjected to pressure including financial pressure, psychological pressure, emotional pressure or even sexual pressure. Below are some of the reasons why people are forced to marry
- Family honor. There are those families that would do anything just to protect their family honor. In such cases, the family will use their son or daughter to be their shield. They end up uniting two families that they well know will strengthen their honor. Sometimes parents do that in fear of their children marrying people that do not meet their standards of living.
- Keeping land or any other property within the family. Some people are in fear of losing the property they have. The only way they can think of securing their property is by uniting two people forcefully.
- Repaying of debt or reducing the levels of poverty. There are so many people who agree to marry off their sons or daughters to rich families simply because they are indebted to them or they would love to shade of the poverty in their families. In such cases, even if the groom and bride refuse to get married, they are usually forced.
To summarize, there is a thin line between an arranged marriage and a forced marriage. An arranged marriage can result in a forced marriage if either the boy or girl feel compromised in their choice of a life partner. On the other hand, parents should give enough freedom to their kids to freely express their views on the prospective bride or groom. There are plenty of matrimonial sites that can help in
finding a suitable bride or groom for marriage. Enroll your biodata to find a life partner of your dreams.
