Coffman 1

Forced Marriage Practices in West Africa and South and Central Asia: Infringement on

Women’s Rights

Dalia Coffman

Global Studies and World Languages Academy at Tallwood High School

GSWLA Global Connections

Ms. Lindsey Clouser

February 5, 2022
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Table of Contents

Abstract …………………………………………………………………………………………. 3

Introduction ……………………………………………………………………..……………… 4

Limitations …………………………………………………………………………………….... 5

Literature Review ………………………………………………………………………………. 5

Marriage Infringement on Women Rights ………………………………………..………. 6

Impacts of the Marriages on Women …………………………………………..……...…. 7

Government Intervention ………………………………………….……………….…..… 7

Gaps in Existing Literature ……………………………………………………...……….. 8

Discussion ……………………………………………………………………………...………... 9

Global Forced Marriage Practices …………………………………………..…….……… 9

Child Marriage in Niger …………………………………………………..……… 9

Arranged Marriage in India ……………………...………………………...…… 10

Bride Kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan …………………………..…………………… 10

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights …………………………………………… 11

Infringement on Women Rights ………………………………………………… 12

Impacts of the Marriages on Women …………………………………………………… 14

Social Effects ………………………………………………………...…………. 15

Physical Effects ………………………………………………………………… 16

Psychological Effects …………………………………………………………… 17

Deviation from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality .. 19

Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………………...…… 21

References ………………………………………………………………………...…………… 23
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Abstract

Universal rights are rights that belong to all people, regardless of their background, nationality, age,

occupation, income, and gender. Marriage practices, more specifically forced marriage practices in

West Africa and South and Central Asia infringe on the universal rights of individuals. Child

marriage in Niger, arranged marriage in India, and bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan infringe

distinctively on women and even young girls’ rights.

The research conducted suggests that there are various rights of women that are infringed upon by

these forced practices. Their rights are not only stripped away but the psychological, social, and

physical impacts are detrimental to the well-being of the women and the young girls as coercion,

loss of social opportunities, and domestic abuse occur in these marriages. Based on these factors,

the paper concludes by discussing how forced marriages lead to the deviation from the United

Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality, emphasizing that further action

regarding the protection of the rights of women and girls in forced marriages in West Africa and

South and Central Asia needs to be effectively implemented.

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Introduction

In the capital city of Bishkek, Aisulu has just finished studying at University and is

returning home to her family for the holidays. A family friend invites Aisulu to her home, just

down the street from Aisulu's parents. As Aisulu moves closer to the house, several men rush

towards her and force her into a parked car nearby. At the age of 17, Aisulu is kidnapped and

forced to marry. After 25 years, she shares her experience:

...I cannot forget this whole nightmare that broke my life. I cannot forgive any of the people

who participated in this, including my parents, who instead of supporting me, became one

of the accomplices of this crime. Do you know how hard it is to live after it? Even after you

left that house of the kidnappers: to live with this stigma for life, (…) In their view, the girls

that survive the abduction do not have the moral right to marry an unmarried guy… At the

same time, a man who kidnapped a girl can steal other girls again and again. The law does

not work. (Alymbekova, 2019)

Around the world, many marriages are forced onto women and even young girls despite

their evident refusal. Globally in 2016, “...there were an estimated 15.4 million people in forced

marriages. 88% of victims were women and girls” (Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based

Violence, n.d.). In the regions of West Africa and South and Central Asia, there are marriages that

infringe on an individual’s rights. Child marriages in Niger, arranged marriages in India, and bride

kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan are all examples of marriages that deprive women of their rights. This

research paper will provide background on each marriage practice and further explore the rights

that are stripped away from women. Furthermore, this paper will explore the resulting social,

physical, and psychological impacts on the women as well as discuss how these factors contribute

to the countries’ deviation from the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender
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Equality. In these marriages, the rights that naturally belong to women are not only taken away, but

the effects are damaging in various ways.

Limitations

While the author's intention is to educate readers about the infringement on women's rights

caused by the practice of forced marriages prevalent in the regions of West Africa and South and

Central Asia, it is essential to acknowledge the difficulties and limitations that arose during the

research process. As a high school student during the COVID-19 pandemic, the author of this

research paper lacks the resources to conduct their own research and analysis of the research topic.

As a result, information regarding forced marriage practices and women's rights in this paper will

be derived from prior research studies.

Furthermore, many of the studies were not easily accessible. The author encountered

barriers such as paywalls and subscriptions to access the full text of sources. In addition, the author

has their own personal bias, having moral opinions on what practice concerning human rights is

ethical and what is not. The author attempted to avoid bias in the research paper and instead,

emphasize the importance of raising awareness about the violation of women's rights through

forced marriages. Although the author's personal bias may be displayed, this paper nonetheless

seeks to be neutral and factual in its analysis of the obtained research.

Literature Review

Marriage is meant to be a bond between two equal partners— a bond meant to be filled

with respect, trust, and love. It is believed to be one of the happiest things in life that people can

experience. However, there are many marriages around the world where equality is not respected

but instead, neglected, creating a bond characterized by harm. In the regions of West Africa and

South and Central Asia, forced marriages infringe on an individual’s rights. More specifically, child
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marriages in Niger, arranged marriages in India, and bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan are all types

of marriage practices that take away from women's rights. When a woman enters into the marriage,

“...she must be ready to take off rights and freedoms as a single woman and transfers it under the

power of her husband” (Mufidah & Roifah, 2020, p.28). In these forced marriages, the rights that

naturally belong to an individual are not only taken away from the women, but the impacts of the

marriages are truly detrimental.

Marriage Infringement on Women Rights

Many women and even young girls around the world lose their autonomy due to forced

marriage. In these marriages, their human rights are stripped away. The marriages that are imposed

on women, despite their evident refusal and rejection, are an attack on their rights to decide who

they want to marry and when (Moldalieva, 2007; Kadam, 2015). In addition, a common

observation in Niger, Kyrgyzstan, and India illustrates how marriages further infringe on women’s

right to live free from harmful traditional practices. The prevalence of child marriages reflects a

harmful practice that subjects minors because “The marriage… is a fundamental violation of

human rights because it is void of the free and full consent of the child…” (Morka-Christian, 2018,

p. 63).

Furthermore, the marriage traditions all violate a number of women's rights identified in the

Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, the most notable and obvious is that of Article

16 (2), “Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses”

(Handrahan, 2000, p.5). Bride kidnapping, arranged marriages, and child marriages inherently

deny women of their humanity and instead objectify them to a patriarchal hierarchy perpetrated by

members of their society. The views of women as inferior to men plague communities in South and

Central Asia, as well as in West Africa illustrated through how their practices “position[s] a
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husband as a leader, thus he has more power and privilege than a wife” (Mufidah & Roifah, 2020,

p.28). Despite the infringement on women’s rights and the harmful impacts on women, forced

marriages still continue to be practiced.

Impacts of the Marriages on Women

A common theme displayed across multiple sources is the violence committed by the

spouses of women. It is not unlikely for domestic violence and various forms of abuse to take place

in these marriages. Domestic violence is aggressive behavior within a home committed by a spouse

to gain control over the other. Domestic abusers in these marriages use coercion— the act of

persuading using either force or threats— which leads to psychological abuse of the women in the

relationship (Moldalieva, 2007). For example, husbands in arranged marriages in India, “...usually

misuse their power not to protect their wives but instead, they do violence to their wives” (Mufidah

& Roifah, 2020, p.28).

In addition, the research from various sources sheds light on the prevalence of sexual

assault that occurs in these marriages. Sexual assault is any type of sexual contact or behavior

inflicted upon an individual who does not consent to it. Bride kidnapping, for example, subjugates

women to sexual assault and violence, which often leads to feelings of isolation and inferiority

(Lundberg, 2021, p.483). Sexual assault does not solely happen to women, but to young girls as

well. In Niger child marriages, “... 1 in 20 [minors] reported ever having experienced sexual

violence” (Silverman et al., 2020, p.6). This illustrates that physical violence and sexual assault in

these marriages can occur to both women and girls.

Government Intervention

Possible government intervention regarding the protection of women’s rights in these

marriages is discussed among various sources. It is declared throughout the research that the
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government needs to further enforce the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights and respect that these rights also belong to the women and young

girls of their society (Moldalieva, 2007; Morka-Christian, 2018, p.85). In order for the government

in Niger, Kyrgyzstan, and India to enforce the rights guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of

Human Rights pertaining to the protection of life and personal liberty, they must educate the men

and women of the societies regarding gender equality as well as reiterate that all genders should be

free to live without discrimination. For instance, to combat bride kidnapping, it is proposed that the

government needs to “...integrate educational programs on women’s rights and gender equality…

into curricula at every education level to eliminate stereotyped gender roles and deter gender-based

violence” (Lundberg, 2021, p.517).

Gaps in Existing Literature

It is apparent that this literature review does not encompass all of the factors and

information regarding the rights of women in child marriages in Niger, arranged marriages in India,

and bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan. The availability of research on arranged marriages in South

Asia is less observed and gathered. In addition, various sources regarding bride kidnapping in

Kyrgyzstan appear to be collected from the early 2000s compared to the research conducted for

arranged and child marriages that appear to have been investigated in the later 2000s. Nonetheless,

the research paper will further explore and analyze the relationship between women’s rights and

marriages in the regions of West Africa and South and Central Asia.

The purpose of the literature review was to identify and determine apparent gaps and

themes regarding research about the rights of women in marriages around the world, more

specifically in the regions of West Africa and South and Central Asia. The themes displayed across

multiple sources consisted of the various women’s rights that were infringed on by the marriages,
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the physical effects on the women and young girls such as domestic violence, and potential

government actions to protect and support these women. Furthermore, the review also reveals gaps

between the research such as the research regarding bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan was gathered

from earlier years compared to child and arranged marriages. This literature review illustrates that

more research and analysis regarding the regions of West Africa and South and Central Asia is

needed to further understand the relationship between women’s rights and the practice of forced

marriages in the region’s society.

Discussion

Global Forced Marriage Practices

Child Marriage in Niger

Child marriages are widespread across the regions of West Africa. Child marriage is

defined as “any formal marriage or informal union between a child under the age of 18 and an

adult or another child” (Unicef for Every Child, n.d.). Niger, a country located in Western Africa,

has a high prevalence of child marriages. A major factor as to why child marriages are still

practiced in Niger is poverty. Children in rural parts of the country are disproportionately impacted

compared to those in urban areas in which the poorer the household, the more the girls are

subjected to this practice.

Poverty also hinders the development of infrastructure and the recruitment of qualified

educators for schools. This leads to low student achievement as well as parental and student

discontent with the educational system. As a result, many young students in the secondary level

drop out of school, a continued drop-out that is regarded as one of the causes of child marriages

among young girls who have few other alternatives. Furthermore, the Civil Code, a legislative

document passed in Niger, establishes that boys can be married at the age of 18 years and 15 years
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for girls (Save the Children, 2017, pp. 1-2). This Code passed by the Niger government supports

child marriages by legalizing the marriage of young girls aged 15, which ultimately increases the

practice of these marriages.

Arranged Marriage in India

In the regions of South Asia, arranged marriages are continuously being practiced.

Arranged marriages are “between two or more people planned by another individual or group”

(Bell, 2014), a marriage practice that is dominant in India. The origin of arranged marriages

derived from upholding the caste system by higher-ranking families which later evolved to include

the lower caste. A few reasons arranged marriages are still prevalent in Indian society include

sustaining the socioeconomic system, maintaining the family's ancestor's bloodline, and sustaining

the concept of endogamy which is desired by many elders (Flanigan, 2017), a “custom enjoining

one to marry within one’s own group” (Britannica, 2016). In addition, arranged marriages in India

are practiced due to religion.

In the Muslim religion, it is the parent’s duty to seek out spouses for their children, in which

they may turn to arranged marriages. In the Hindu faith, marriage is a sacred union. According to

the Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929-1978, it is legal for females aged 18 and males aged 21

to marry. Even so, many minors between the ages of 15 and 16 can be arranged to marry their

spouse under Hindu or Muslim religious law which is legal, granted that the marriage is finalized

once the children turn their legal ages of 18 and 21 years. As a result, families can arrange a

marriage for their daughter as young as 15 years old and it still is legal as long as they wait until

she turns 18 to legally marry her (Flanigan, 2017). This further encourages the practice of arranged

marriages as the marriage can be enforced even on minors.

Bride Kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan

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There are various marriage practices in the regions of Central Asia. More specifically, bride

kidnapping is a marriage tradition and practice that is prevalent in Kyrgyz society. Bride

kidnapping is “the harmful practice of a man or group of men abducting a young girl or woman for

the purpose of forcing her into a marriage to which she would not otherwise consent to” (The

Advocates for Human Rights, 2019). Although it is difficult to determine the exact origin of this

practice, many Kyrgyz think that when Kyrgyz tribes were nomadic in the past, males from one

tribe would take women from their opposing tribes. By abducting the women, the enemy tribe

would be weakened while the power of the kidnapper tribe grew (Moldalieva, 2007).

Furthermore, it is also believed that bride kidnapping arose after the Soviet Union

collapsed. Bride kidnappings were rare in pre-Soviet Kyrgyzstan (Lundberg, 2021, pp. 481). Men

primarily kidnapped brides due to the bride's father’s disapproval of the marriage or the groom's

family. However, kidnappers abduct a bride for a variety of reasons. One reason is families struggle

to pay for wedding costs due to high percentages of poverty and unemployment. Many kidnappers

are rejected because of their financial situation, as a family's socioeconomic position affects a man's

potential to attract a wife. Another reason is the pressure placed upon men to marry because if they

postpone or even reject the marriage, they may be outcasted by their peers. As a result, young

males abduct a wife out of fear of disownment from their family. Finally, although bride

kidnapping is unlawful and punishable, cultural views and beliefs prohibit women from reporting

the crime, ultimately motivating the kidnapping (Lundberg, 2021, pp. 481-482). Family, societal,

and economic issues are all factors as to why bride kidnapping is still in practice.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a document that was established

by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948. The declaration was created to
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assert inherent human rights, claiming that these rights are universal and belong to all people,

regardless of their background. It contains thirty articles that express the universal civil, political,

economic, cultural, and social rights such as the right to life, liberty, social security, and education

(Australian Human Rights Commission, n.d.) that belong to every individual.

Infringement on Women Rights

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights can be applied to all countries around the

globe. Child marriage in Niger, arranged marriage in India, and bride kidnapping in Krygyzstan are

all marriage practices that infringe on universal human rights, more specifically on the universal

rights of women. Article 3 of the UDHR states, “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security

of person” (UN General Assembly, n.d.). Child marriage violates this human right as the young

girls in these marriages are denied control and freedom regarding their lives and even bodies. The

marriage infringes on their right to freely express themselves and the right to be protected from

abuse as well as harmful practices, therefore violating their universal right to liberty and life

(Morka-Christian, 2018, pp. 62-63). Furthermore, child marriages, arranged marriages, and bride

kidnapping all deprive women’s right to autonomy as the marriages are forced upon them. The

women are placed in a patriarchal marriage in which their safety is not ensured and their freedom

regarding their lives is denied. These forced marriages violate the women’s “...right to personal

liberty and security, the right to freedom from arbitrary detention… and the right to freedom from

gender-based discrimination” (Moldalieva, 2007).

In addition, the women in these marriages are denied not only their liberty and security but

also the rights asserted in Article 4 of the UDHR which declares, “No one shall be held in slavery

or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms” (UN General

Assembly, n.d.). Marriages that are forced upon women such as bride kidnapping, and child and
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arranged marriage can be deemed as a form of modern slavery— “situations of exploitation that a

person cannot refuse or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception, and/or abuse of

power” (Walk Free, 2022). The practice of child marriages in Niger is a form of modern slavery as

being married at a young age leads girls into emotional and physical relationships with which they

are unprepared and have little to no control over their rights (Deane, 2021, p. 3). Jyldyz Moldalieva

expresses, “Forced marriage may also be considered to constitute acts of slavery” (Moldalieva,

2007). Young girls and women who are forced into these marriages must be prepared to give up

their rights and liberties as a woman, subjecting themselves to their spouse’s control as they are

unable to leave. These marriages establish the husband as a leader, granting him greater authority

and privilege than his wife (Mufidah & Roifah, 2020, p. 28), deeming the husband as an owner of

his property, the wife.

Furthermore, because women in these societies are viewed as property, their consent is

ignored. In the UDHR, Article 16 (2) asserts, “Marriage shall be entered into only with the free

and full consent of the intending spouses” (UN General Assembly, n.d.). Child marriages, bride

kidnapping, and arranged marriages are all forms of forced marriage in which women’s consent are

not taken into consideration. Women who are kidnapped for marriage, for example, do not have

the right to choose when to marry, with whom to marry, and if they want to marry (Moldalieva,

2007). In addition, women or girls who are below the age of consent and forced into these

marriages are deprived of their right to a marriage agreed upon by consent. The prevalence of child

marriages reflects a damaging practice with a lack of consent as a marriage of a “... child who is

below the age of eighteen is a fundamental violation of human rights because it is void of the free

and full consent of the child…” (Morka-Christian, 2018, p. 63). This view of women as inferior to

men plagues communities in South and Central Asia, as well as in West Africa illustrated through
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how their “patriarchal values allow men to treat women and girls as property, thereby restricting

free will” (Kadam, 2015). Women in bride kidnapping, child marriages, and arranged marriages

are treated as the property of men, their autonomy, individual liberty, and consent discarded.

Nevertheless, these are not the only rights in the UDHR that women are deprived of.

Arranged marriages in India, child marriages in Niger, and bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan

continue to infringe on the rights guaranteed in The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The

rights listed in the UDHR that these marriages further infringe on include:

● Article 1: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are

endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of

brotherhood.

● Article 2: Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration,

without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or

other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. [...]

● Article 5: No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment

or punishment.

● Article 7: All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal

protection of the law…

● Article 16 (1): Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality

or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights

as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.

● Article 28: Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and

freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized (UN General Assembly, n.d.).

Impacts of the Marriages on Women

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Social Effects

Women who are forced into patriarchal marriages are at risk of losing social opportunities.

Education is one of the most effective ways to inform both men and women about the dangers of

forced marriages. Many women who are in arranged marriages, bride kidnapping, and child

marriages are unable to go to school. In arranged marriages, “...low caste daughters have a lesser

opportunity to attend college and assert their independence. These daughters often feel pressured to

ease their family’s financial burden by accepting an arranged marriage before they finish their

education” (Kadam, 2015). The pressure of upholding the family’s financial status as well as the

societal views that women must be subordinate to men in marriages impact their ability to obtain a

higher degree in education, also taking away from their social right to education.

In addition, women in these marriages may have little to no control over their life, their

social growth in danger. Victims of bride kidnapping frequently experience abuse and trauma

committed by the spouse's family members. They are denied education, forced to do manual labor,

and mistreated or humiliated. The "higher-ranked matriarch"—a woman who is the head of a

family— regularly controls the woman's daily schedule, housework, interaction with others, and

reproduction and childbearing (Lundberg, 2021, p. 485). Not only are women denied an

education, but they are also denied control over socializing with other individuals and even their

bodies. Even young girls who are forced into these marriages are denied social freedom. Although

a young girl is forced into a Niger child marriage, it is expected that she “continue her education

after marriage, but unfortunately, most girls stop schooling after marriage. Child marriage is a

harmful practice based in deep-rooted norms on the lower status of women, beliefs in preserving

the virginity of girls before marriage and limiting the education and power of girls to prevent

stubbornness” (Morka-Christian, 2018, pp. 61-62). Both women and young girls in bride
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kidnapping, child and arranged marriage are socially limited and controlled in which this control

may be shown through physical abuse and violence committed by their spouse.

Physical Effects

These marriages and kidnappings not only deprive women of their social opportunities but

are physically damaging as well. Violence inflicted by the spouses of women is a recurring issue in

all three marriages. Domestic violence, as well as sexual violence, are likely to occur in these

marriages. Domestic violence is aggressive behavior committed within a home by one spouse in

order to gain and maintain control over the other. For instance, because of the unequal power

dynamic prevalent in child marriages, young girls are frequently exposed to severe health risks

such as HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, early pregnancy, and early childbirth (Deane,

2021, p. 7). Furthermore, husbands in arranged marriages in India, “...usually misuse their power

not to protect their wives but instead, they do violence to their wives” (Mufidah & Roifah, 2020,

p.28).

Jennifer Gotrik, a news-editorial student journalist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln

College, writes about Manjali Bhagwandas and her story of being in an arranged marriage at the

age of 18 years to her current husband. Bhagwandas states how she did not even know who her

husband was, only seeing him once in a photograph (Gotrik, 2011). Two months after they got

married, her husband, Rakesh, continuously beat and abused her in which Bhagwandas was too

afraid to ask why Rakesh was treating her this way. Due to the shame and dishonor that

Bhagwandas would face from her family, she decided not to leave. Bhagwandas states, "Marriage

is the worst part of my life… It is the worst decision one could make" (Gotrik, 2011). Many

women in India do not have the right to decline arranged marriages, even if they are being abused

due to the fear that they would be shunned by their families and society. Even though domestic
 Coffman 17

violence occurs in all these marriages, the women and young girls are too afraid to leave so they

decide to stay, enduring the physical abuse.

Additionally, sexual assault is common to take place in bride kidnapping, child marriage

and arranged marriage. Sexual assault is characterized as any sort of sexual contact, behavior, or

action perpetrated on an individual who does not consent to it. Bride kidnapping, for example,

subjugates women to sexual assault and violence:

Abductions involving rape psychologically influence a woman to accept her kidnapper and

his family’s pressures to marry him; if she refuses, it is unlikely she will be considered

marriable again by her community. When a woman’s social status is so closely tied to

marriage, some women may prefer to stay with their abusers than live as social outcasts. Of

the 12,000 annual bride kidnappings in Kyrgyzstan, approximately 2,000 women report

being raped by their kidnapper. Some brides reported their husbands were alcoholic and

abusive, married a second wife, or abandoned them. (Lundberg, 2021, p. 485)

In addition, for young girls in Niger child marriages, “Approximately 1 in 12 reported ever

having experienced physical violence from an intimate partner, and 1 in 20 reported ever having

experienced sexual violence” (Silverman et al., 2020, p. 6). Women in bride kidnapping, child

marriages, and arranged marriages are not only sexually abused but are also murdered. In extreme

cases regarding arranged marriages, women who choose whom and when to marry may be

murdered “...and it is not wholly uncommon for community officials turn a blind eye to these

crimes” (Kadam, 2015). Child marriages in Niger, arranged marriages in India, and bride

kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan inflict physical harm on the women and young girls in these marriages

which leads to the deterioration of their psychological well-being.

Psychological Effects
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Marriages that are forced upon women and young girls are not only physically destructive

but also psychologically. Domestic abusers in bride kidnapping, arranged and child marriages use

coercion— the act of persuading others using either force or threats— which leads to psychological

abuse of the women in the relationship (Moldalieva, 2007). Many women in these marriages do

not leave and instead decide to endure the abuse and violence in fear of disownment by their

families, creating mental trauma. In bride kidnapping cases, “If the woman decides to escape she

likely faces rejection by her family and village on the ground that she has dishonored Kyrgyz

tradition. [...] She is property of the man who has kidnapped her and must obey his wishes”

(Handrahan, 2000, p. 2-5). In order to maintain a relationship with her family as well as her

identity as a Kyrgyz, the woman instead gives up her personal safety, as well as her dignity and

honor. The woman, due to fear of rejection, decides to stay in the relationship at the expense of her

physical and psychological health.

Furthermore, in bride kidnapping and child and arranged marriages, “Struggle, dilemma,

and depression are the major condition[s] those women have to deal with” (Mufidah & Roifah,

2020, p. 26). The women in these forced marriages have to endure the coercion committed by their

spouses as well as the pressure placed upon society and their families, which leads to depression.

This depression caused by being forced into a marriage in which the women are unable or fearful

to leave can lead to self-harm and suicide. It is not uncommon for troubled women and girls to

commit suicide because they are unprepared to marry a man they do not know or love (Lundberg,

2021, p. 487). Suicide is an alternative that many women in these marriages look to as a way to

escape the marriage forced upon them as well as the societal pressures that keep them from leaving.

The women are continuously psychologically drained as they must decide every day if they would

rather stay and endure the abuse imposed upon them or if ending their lives would be better.
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Women and young girls in “...successive forced marriage experience higher instances of domestic

violence and higher suicide rates. In three separate instances between 2010 and 2012, young

women from the Issyk-Kul province committed suicide after being kidnapped and raped”

(Lundberg, 2021, p. 484).” When faced with this decision, many choose not to stay.

Deviation from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality

The United Nations (UN) is “an international organization founded in 1945 after the

Second World War by 51 countries committed to maintaining international peace and security,

developing friendly relations among nations and promoting social progress, better living standards

and human rights” (United Nations, n.d.). The UN created 17 Sustainable Development Goals

(SDGs) that work to maintain international peace and human rights, addressing climate change,

poverty, inequality, and many more global issues (United Nations, n.d.). Forced marriage practices,

such as bride kidnapping in Krygyzstan, child marriage in Niger, and arranged marriage in India

deviate specifically from the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality.

Sustainable Development Goal 5 has multiple targets, targets that guide countries to create

a sustainable and equal environment for women and young girls. However, these marriages are

steering away from the targets. Target 5.2 of SDG 5 is to “Eliminate all forms of violence against

all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other

types of exploitation” (United Nations country team of Kyrgyz Republic, 2021; United Nations,

n.d.). The forced marriages of bride kidnapping, child and arranged marriage deviate from this

Target as women and young girls are not only abused psychologically and physically but are

sexually exploited as well. In India, for instance, “... a baseline study revealed that in New Delhi,

92% of women had experienced some form of sexual violence in public spaces during their

lifetime” (United Nations in India, n.d.). This illustrates how India is still struggling as a country to
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protect the women of their society, the practice of arranged marriages contributing to this lack of

protection.

In addition, since these marriages are forced upon women and young girls, they deviate

from Target 5.3, “Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and

female genital mutilation” (United Nations, n.d.). Child marriages in Niger are extremely harmful

practices as the young girls in these marriages are forced into relationships that they are emotionally

manipulated and psychologically and physically unprepared for. Additionally, bride kidnapping not

only deteriorates the mental integrity of the women but also due to their lower status, their

economic opportunities are limited as “...most women do not work outside the home, primarily due

to their household responsibilities (looking after their children, household chores, working on

family livestock and farms), prohibition by their husband, lack of education, and lack of

employment opportunities” (Muldoon & Casabonne, 2017, p. 26).

Furthermore, these three marriage practices continue to deviate from Target 5.5 of SDG 5,

“Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels

of decision making in political, economic and public life” (United Nations, n.d.). Child marriages,

bride kidnapping, and arranged marriages are all practices that limit women and young girls’

opportunities for leadership and even participation in their life. These forced marriages limit their

ability to obtain an education as many are pressured to take care of the home rather than go to

school. In addition, many women and young girls in these relationships do not have control of their

bodies in which the husband is the decision-maker of both his and his wife’s life:

Child marriage robs girls of their childhood and threatens their lives and health. Girls who

marry before 18 are more likely to experience domestic violence and less likely to remain

in school. They have worse economic and health outcomes than their unmarried peers,
 Coffman 21

which are eventually passed down to their own children, further straining a country’s

capacity to provide quality health and education services. (Unicef for Every Child, n.d.)

Due to not only the harmful impacts but also the infringement on the women and young

girls’ universal rights in these marriages, the government in Niger, Kyrgyzstan, and India should all

strive to eradicate these forced marriage practices. In order to achieve the United Nation’s

Sustainable Development Goal 5, they must be willing to ensure gender equality as well as provide

quality education and economic opportunities to all women and young girls in society. Most

importantly, higher officials in Niger, Kyrgyzstan, and India must not only abolish these marriage

practices in order to improve the lives of young girls and women but must also invest in

empowering them.

Conclusion

Marriage is understood to be a connection filled with respect and love between two equal

partners. However, there are numerous marriages across the globe in which equality is not valued

but rather discarded. Marriage practices, such as child marriages in Niger, arranged marriages in

India, and bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan, deny women of their universal rights. The rights that

women naturally possess such as the rights to life, liberty, and security are not only stripped away

in these marriages, but the effects are truly harmful to the women’s physical and psychological

well-being.

This study sought to shed light on millions of girls and women around the world who

experience marriage, a marriage that is not a joyous occasion between two consenting parties, but

rather an imposed decision. Every woman and girl has the right to decide when, whom, and if they

want to marry. These are only a few of the rights that are infringed upon by the practices of bride

kidnapping, child marriage, and arranged marriage, rights that are universal— “inherent to every
 Coffman 22

individual without discrimination; inalienable, meaning that no one can take them away; indivisible

and interrelated, with all rights having equal status and being necessary to protect human dignity”

(Actionaid International, 2019). Women and young girls should have the freedom to pursue their

dreams, gain an education, and protect their own physical and psychological wellbeing. Child

marriage in Niger, bride kidnapping in Krygyzstan, and arranged marriage in India are forced

marriage practices that inflict harm upon the women and young girls in the relationships. They

need to be eradicated as the practices continue to deviate from the United Nations Sustainable

Development Goal 5: Gender Equality which is a goal aimed at all countries to achieve. Although

it is evident that these marriage practices infringe on women and young girls’ right to life, forced

marriages continue to be practiced. Around the world every year, 12 million girls marry before the

age of 18. This equates to 23 girls every minute, one every three seconds (Girls Not Brides, n.d.).
 Coffman 23

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