Summary

INTRODUCTION - DEFINITION
I- THE CAUSES OF FORCED MARRIAGE
a) Historical causes
b) Sociopolitical causes
II- CONSEQUENCES
a) The consequences by the family
b) Social consequences
III- SOLUTIONS
CONCLUSION

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 INTRODUCTION
Marriage is an important milestone in life that unites not only two people, but
also two families. However, there is a form of union called: “forced marriage”.
Which is a phenomenon that can be observed very often in rural areas for
several other reasons. These marriages are mainly intended for certain young
teenage girls, all over the world but more mainly in Africa because of traditions
and for economic interest.

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Definition:
Forced marriage aims to marry a person against their will. It is characterized by
the obligation imposed on one of the two partners to accept the union. This
violence is very often committed against girls who are threatened with agreeing
to a union for several reasons.

I) THE CAUSES OF FORCED MARRIAGE

The reasons for forced marriage are multiple and vary depending on the social
and economic historical context.

a) Historical causes
Some victims of forced marriage are forced to accept it for historical reasons.

1. Because marriage is a family affair: some parents do not seek the

opinion of their children when they judge that they are old enough to get
married. They consider marriage a family affair and it is their duty to get them
married. For them this role is fundamental and not exercising it would
constitute a serious failure in their duty,

2. To respect a prescription of tradition: as in the case of levirate.

b) Sociopolitical causes
Some parents practice forced marriage for the following reasons:
• Gender inequality: In societies practicing early and forced marriage, girls and
women have a lower status than men. Girls are married off young because they
are considered a burden on the family and their well-being is not a priority.

• A guarantee against poverty: Poverty pushes certain families to give their

daughters to rich people in order to benefit from certain interests in return.
Also, in developing countries, a girl is often considered a burden. His marriage
allows the parents to have one less mouth to feed, to enrich themselves and to
create strategic alliances with another family.

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• To save family honor: Women can be used as a means to seal alliances
between families.
To avoid dishonor, it is customary from the first period of a girl's period to find
her a husband. Others give their daughter in compensation for a benefit
rendered.

• Lack and awareness of their rights: Even when early marriage is prohibited,
many families are unaware of it and/or break the law. In some countries, this
violation is so widespread and normalized that sanctions are rare.

• Emergency situations: Precarious situations (conflicts, natural disasters,

humanitarian crises) increase the economic pressure on households, leading
families who would never have considered it to marry off their daughters too
young.
• Lack of birth certificate: 230 million children have not been registered at birth
worldwide. Girls without legal identity cannot provide proof of their young age,
which would prove the illegality of early or forced marriage.

We can also say that forced marriage is motivated:

- To avoid banishment
- To deal with the consequences of an out-of-wedlock pregnancy
- To control the sexuality of girls - For respect for the family at marriage.

II) THE CONSEQUENCES OF FORCED MARRIAGE

Several consequences result from the practice of forced marriage for the family
but also for society.

a) The consequences for the family

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- Family breakdowns in case of refusal
- Disagreements in the family (the couple)
- Domestic violence
- Nervous breakdowns
- Frequent insults
- Deprivation of one kind and others

b) Social consequences

- School dropout: Once married, a girl is considered an adult and is taken care
of by her husband. So she no longer has any interest in going to school.
Domestic chores and raising children don't leave them any time anyway.
However, girls’ education is the best instrument in the fight against poverty. An
educated girl gives birth to fewer children and, aware of the importance of
education, she ensures that her children have a quality education and thus in
turn fights against early or forced marriage.

- Prostitution
- Loss of autonomy and freedom
- Mental health problems that can lead people to commit suicide
- Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs): These include risks linked to early
pregnancies, the leading cause of mortality among 15 to 19 year olds, but also
to HIV because, even if a girl has had the chance to receive sex education, she is
rarely able to negotiate protected sex.

– The free choice of partner is violated.

– Domestic violence
– Early marriages
– Violations of women’s right to education.
– Lack of love in the couple

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– Disagreements
– Suicide
– Risks of poor education of children – Escape of the woman.
It is important to point out that all of these problems mentioned are not
specific to forced marriages alone. They are also found in other forms of free
marriages.

III) SOLUTIONS
Although they are few in number, there are still some solutions to combat
forced marriage:
• Conduct awareness campaigns
• Establish mechanisms to help people struggling with marriage constraints
(reception places, accommodation)
• Provide legal, clear and applicable provisions in the case of an imposed union
• Organize discussion meetings at the local level with the support of
associations so that parents and children exchange their points of view on the
subject under discussion.

CONCLUSION

Forced marriages are a reality in many parts of the world. Both men and
women can in theory be victims. In the vast majority of cases, it is young girls

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who suffer the most. However, many countries are taking steps to combat this
phenomenon, as is the case in Burkina Faso, which condemns any practice that
could lead to forced marriage for a penalty 3 years of imprisonment.

REPUBLIQUE DE COTE D’IVOIRE

Union-Discipline-Travail

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ECOLE : GROUPE SCOLAIRE FLORA DALOA

CLASSE : 3eme

EXPOSER D’ANGLAIS

THEME :
FORCED MARRIAGE

Présenter par

1. COULIBALY BEN
2. COULIBALY LACINA
3. DAO CAMISSA
4. DIABATE SIDIGBE
5. DIOMANDE MAÏMOUNA
6. DIARRASSOUBA DATIÉ

PROF :Mr. KOUASSI A.