The issue of consent is the primary difference between a forced marriage and an arranged marriage. A forced marriage occurs when one or both parties do not willingly consent, or are coerced, into a marriage. In an arranged marriage, however, both parties are willing participants. BBC Religion & Ethics Forced Marriages
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Forced Marriage Central Groups
- United Kingdom
- Missdorothy.com: Survivors' Stories
- Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood: Forced Marriage Condemned
- Fox News: U.K. Cracks Down on Forced Marriage (March 11, 2008)
- The Guardian: Forced marriage in UK 'a widespread problem' (March 9, 2008)
- BBC News: Forced marriage law 'not needed' (June 7, 2006)
- Africa
- UNHCR: Somalia: Prevalence of Forced or Arranged Marriages (October 30, 2006)
- Forward: Child and Forced Marriage
- Third World Traveler: Wanted: the right to refuse (August 2001)
- BBC News: Africa's forced marriages (March 8, 2001)
- UNICEF Statistics: Child Marriage (July 2008)
- United States
- Chron.com: Polygamist Sect Leader Warren Jeffs Hospitalized (July 9, 2008)
- Chron.com: Woman Sobs on Stand... (September 15, 2007)
- Salt Lake Tribune: Jeffs Abused Trust of Teen, judge says (August 30, 2007)
- ABC News: Polygamous Sect Leader Facing Charges in Arizona (August 26, 2008)
- Guardian Unlimited: Leader of polygamist sect forced girl into marriage.. (November 23, 2006)
- U.S Department of State: Poverty, Illiteracy, and Child Marriage (September 14, 2005)
References
Fast Facts
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2008
A study conducted by the British Home Office reported that at least 3,000 British women are forced into marriage annuallyThe Guardian 3,000 women a year forced into marriage in UK (March 8, 2008)
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The United Kingdom's Forced Marriage Unit deals with 5,000 inquiries and 300 cases of forced marriage every yearThe Guardian Compulsory Lessons Urged on Forced Marriage... (June 13, 2008)
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A forced marriage may be ground for both a legal and/or a religious annulment
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May occur in any country
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Were common among royal families and the upper-class societies
