9Perpetra<strong>to</strong>rs <strong>of</strong> <strong>Forced</strong> <strong>Marriage</strong>From the data collected on perpetra<strong>to</strong>rs, it was found that most <strong>of</strong> the <strong>in</strong>dividuals fac<strong>in</strong>g FM had more thanone perpetra<strong>to</strong>r pressur<strong>in</strong>g them. <strong>The</strong> father was found <strong>to</strong> be pressur<strong>in</strong>g the <strong>in</strong>dividual <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> the marriage<strong>in</strong> 77% <strong>of</strong> the cases, the mother was found <strong>to</strong> be pressur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> 74% <strong>of</strong> the cases and the sibl<strong>in</strong>gs werepressur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> 30% <strong>of</strong> the cases. <strong>When</strong> the father was found <strong>to</strong> be pressur<strong>in</strong>g, the mother was 88% likelyand the sibl<strong>in</strong>gs were 85% likely <strong>to</strong> be pressur<strong>in</strong>g as well. Many <strong>of</strong> the respondents <strong>of</strong>ten stated “family”as the source <strong>of</strong> the pressure, which was unders<strong>to</strong>od <strong>to</strong> mean the immediate family. <strong>The</strong>se results werecorroborated by Buckeridge who mentioned that <strong>in</strong> her experience, sibl<strong>in</strong>gs, particularly older brothers, arethe next most likely culprits after the parents, <strong>in</strong> pressur<strong>in</strong>g women <strong>to</strong> get married. 1 Aunts were found <strong>to</strong> bepressur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> 27% <strong>of</strong> the cases while uncles were pressur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> 29% <strong>of</strong> the cases.After parents and sibl<strong>in</strong>gs, extended family, grandparents and religious leaders were reported <strong>to</strong> be mostlikely <strong>to</strong> be push<strong>in</strong>g the <strong>in</strong>dividuals <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> FM. Community elders, future or potential <strong>in</strong>-laws, ex-boyfriend andfriends were also reported <strong>to</strong> be <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> forc<strong>in</strong>g people <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> an unwanted marriage.10Reasons for Forc<strong>in</strong>g <strong>Marriage</strong>Many reasons were reported for forc<strong>in</strong>g a marriage <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g religious and cultural beliefs, economic status,immigration status, community pressure, marriage as a cure for mental health issues, and emotionalmanipulation related <strong>to</strong> the death <strong>of</strong> a parent. 2 <strong>The</strong> survey found that <strong>in</strong> 66% <strong>of</strong> the cases, cultural traditionwas reported <strong>to</strong> be a lead<strong>in</strong>g reason for forc<strong>in</strong>g an <strong>in</strong>dividual <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> the marriage, followed by family reputation(58%). Other common reasons <strong>in</strong>cluded morality and honour (50%), immigration/sponsorship reasons (24%)and economic transactions (20%).Figure 7: Reasons Provided for <strong>Forced</strong> <strong>Marriage</strong>s60PERCENTAGE OF CASES50403020100Cultural TraditionFamily ReputationMorality & HonourEconomic TransactionImmigration & SponsorshpOtherREASONS1 <strong>Forced</strong> marriages and gaps <strong>in</strong> services: <strong>in</strong>terview with Jakki Buckeridge (2012).2 <strong>Forced</strong>/non-consensual marriages: a <strong>to</strong>olkit for service providers (2010, p. 14); and forced marriage: the risk fac<strong>to</strong>rs andthe effect <strong>of</strong> rais<strong>in</strong>g the m<strong>in</strong>imum age for a sponsor, and <strong>of</strong> leave <strong>to</strong> enter the UK as a spouse or fiancé(e) (2007, p. 30).16
Several researchers have noted the relationship between poverty and FM. 3 Systemic issues such as lack<strong>of</strong> education, low <strong>in</strong>come and employment opportunities also lead <strong>to</strong> FM situations <strong>in</strong> which <strong>in</strong>dividuals aretraded as commodities for wealth creation and economic betterment. Some <strong>of</strong> the other reasons <strong>in</strong>cludedmarriage as a rite <strong>of</strong> passage for young women, marriage as a cure for homosexuality, religious reasons,cult membership, prevent<strong>in</strong>g the youth from enter<strong>in</strong>g an undesirable relationship, parental sickness andavoid<strong>in</strong>g the stigma from a previous divorce. <strong>The</strong> use <strong>of</strong> FM <strong>to</strong> avoid the stigma <strong>of</strong> a divorce was confirmedby Mat<strong>to</strong>o who po<strong>in</strong>ted out that families <strong>of</strong>ten end up forc<strong>in</strong>g the divorced <strong>in</strong>dividual <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> another marriagepartly due <strong>to</strong> the lower social status and shame associated with divorce <strong>in</strong> some communities, and at timesbecause they prefer <strong>to</strong> see the <strong>in</strong>dividuals settled once aga<strong>in</strong>. 4 <strong>The</strong> survey also captured some cases <strong>in</strong>which the <strong>in</strong>dividuals were trafficked through FM <strong>in</strong> order <strong>to</strong> repay the family debt, or <strong>to</strong> provide a maid or aslave for a family.11Types <strong>of</strong> ViolenceAll the <strong>in</strong>dividuals forced <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> the marriage experience violence. 75% <strong>of</strong> survey respondents reported“Mental or social pressure” as a form <strong>of</strong> violence experienced by the FM client. Case studies from <strong>SALCO</strong>and open-ended <strong>in</strong>terviews with Deepa Mat<strong>to</strong>o and Jakki Buckeridge provided further <strong>in</strong>sight <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> the exten<strong>to</strong>f mental and social pressure. <strong>The</strong> most common practices employed some sort <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>direct coercion:··sham<strong>in</strong>g the victim <strong>to</strong> preserve the family reputation;··stress<strong>in</strong>g the adverse affect the <strong>in</strong>dividual’s refusal <strong>to</strong> marry may have on the health <strong>of</strong> a parent;··endanger<strong>in</strong>g a sibl<strong>in</strong>g’s future marital possibilities;··family member threaten<strong>in</strong>g <strong>to</strong> harm themselves; and··<strong>in</strong> case <strong>of</strong> immigrants, <strong>in</strong>vok<strong>in</strong>g fear that the <strong>in</strong>dividual would lose his or her immigration status. 5Mental or social pressure was followed by threaten<strong>in</strong>g behaviour (68%), restrictions on lifestyle (63%),oppressive f<strong>in</strong>ancial control (61%), physical violence (59%), demean<strong>in</strong>g, humiliat<strong>in</strong>g and controll<strong>in</strong>gbehaviour (48%), sexual violence (26%), threaten<strong>in</strong>g <strong>to</strong> take away sponsorship (23%), stalk<strong>in</strong>g (20%) andfamily members threaten<strong>in</strong>g <strong>to</strong> hurt themselves (20%). 22% <strong>of</strong> the <strong>in</strong>dividuals were imprisoned and 14%<strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>dividuals were reported <strong>to</strong> have been abducted. Other types <strong>of</strong> violence <strong>in</strong>cluded verbal abuse, foodrestriction, harassment, threaten<strong>in</strong>g <strong>to</strong> kidnap the victim’s children, threaten<strong>in</strong>g <strong>to</strong> hurt family members,evict<strong>in</strong>g the <strong>in</strong>dividual from their home, pressur<strong>in</strong>g the person <strong>to</strong> drop out <strong>of</strong> school and death threats. Some<strong>of</strong> the women were also forced <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> sex trade and forced <strong>to</strong> abort pregnancies.<strong>The</strong> violence experienced by <strong>in</strong>dividuals be<strong>in</strong>g coerced <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> FM manifests itself through several warn<strong>in</strong>gsigns. Missed appo<strong>in</strong>tments, <strong>in</strong>juries <strong>in</strong>consistent with the explanation provided, visits <strong>to</strong> health carepr<strong>of</strong>essionals without any obvious illness, depression, self-harm, eat<strong>in</strong>g disorders and worsen<strong>in</strong>g academicperformance constitute some <strong>of</strong> the warn<strong>in</strong>g signs <strong>of</strong> FM. <strong>The</strong> person may also appear frightened oranxious and is always accompanied for appo<strong>in</strong>tments. In cases <strong>in</strong>volv<strong>in</strong>g youth, sudden fear <strong>of</strong> go<strong>in</strong>g ona trip, parental refusal <strong>to</strong> provide school fees for post-secondary education and sudden <strong>in</strong>sistence that the3 Policy brief: <strong>Who</strong> speaks for me? End<strong>in</strong>g child marriage (2011, p. 1); and <strong>Forced</strong> marriage: the risk fac<strong>to</strong>rs and theeffect <strong>of</strong> rais<strong>in</strong>g the m<strong>in</strong>imum age for a sponsor, and <strong>of</strong> leave <strong>to</strong> enter the UK as a spouse or fiancé(e) (2007, p. 24).4 <strong>Forced</strong> marriages and gaps <strong>in</strong> services: <strong>in</strong>terview with Deepa Mat<strong>to</strong>o (2012).5 <strong>Forced</strong>/non-consensual marriages: a <strong>to</strong>olkit for service providers (2010, p. 14).17
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