Forced Marriages: The Effect on Individuals

By: Sebastian Alvarez Espinoza

Since the establishment of marriages in civilization the practice of forced  marriage has been a common one. It has been thought to benefit the couple and the party arranging such union. In many parts of the world men and women are told by their relatives to be part of a union that involves no love. This kind of union is supposed to  economically, religiously, and culturally beneficial for the parents and the couple.  An example of such unions can be seen in our modern society in groups which are more ethnic with traditions that have been passed down generations. Though this may been seen as a culturally normal aspect there is no established love between the two parties which does not necessarily comply with the right and obligations that have to be fulfilled between them and their children. The effect that marriage produces on an individual is of great length and a burden which also the state may have to pay for. In many countries such as Afghanistan where the number of women that are forced into marriage is 80% percent.[1] Many of these women that are forced into this kind of union are under 18 and are paired with men that are far beyond their age. Though the practice of forced marriage is strange in the Western World this practice was not as strange in the 18th century.

During this time period many individual were forced into marriages in America and Europe for the  benefit of both families. An example of this would be the marriage between monarchies to ensure treaties and to control territory. This all changed for better at the turning of the 19th century during the Victorian Era where the importance of romance in a union was of more value than the benefits of it. This part of history brought a great deal of change to the American which became the foundation for other movements such as Transcendentalist and Romanticism movement. Due to this movement many individuals started to look over their life and value the love for one another than their rational benefits.  Though the Victorian Era brought a big change on how marriages worked it also created many laws which would need to be follow up. An example of this laws would be not being able to marry your deceased wife's sister.[2] Another law would be proving the ability to support the lifestyle of your wife. In my opinion many of these changes in the Victorian Era shaped how we view marriage now in the western world. These changes have allowed us to marry and share our life with our special other. Unlike us many individuals are forced to marry another person whom they have no love for or due to their situation. Marriage is the founding part of every nation and by  not allowing happiness to flow in a community they can be foreseen to fall apart. A nation like Afghanistan which is mostly composed of forced marriages, the effect that is has on the country is massive by having a broken economy and almost no human rights. The importance of marriage is a great value which affects on how communities are affected and how they lived today.

[1] Linny, Hon. "80% of brides in Afghanistan are forced into marriage." . http://www.233prime.com/80-of-brides-in-afghanistan-are-forced-into-marriage/ (accessed March 30, 2014).

[2] "Victorian Days." Accessed March 31, 2014. http://www.angelpig.net/victorian/engagement.html.