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Forced Marriage: a Growing Problem in America

An EMS worker in Bronx, New York recently informed the New York Analysis of Policy & Government that he been driving his ambulance to the scene of suicide attempts by young women in neighborhoods with recent Moslem immigrants, who seek to kill themselves rather than submit to forced marriages.

The problem appears to be growing quickly, but little is being said or done about it, and government and social welfare organizations appear to be unprepared to deal with it. The National Organization for Women, NOW, does not even mention the issue on its website.

A report by Aljazeera notes “While forced marriage may sound like the concept of arranged marriage — with parents playing matchmaker for their children — the element of coercion when a marriage is forced often leaves women feeling ‘like slaves,’ according to Tanya McLeod, senior campaign organizer at the Voices of Women Organizing Project (VOW), an organization dedicating to providing help and resources to victims of domestic violence in New York… In June 2012 the United Kingdom announced it would criminalize forced marriage, following the lead of Norway, Denmark, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Cyprus and Malta. In 2012 alone, the U.K. Forced Marriage Unit noted 1,485 cases related to possible forced marriage. Curtis said that current research only scratches the surface of a problem he suspects is more widespread but largely hidden from public view…. the fact that forced marriage falls outside the scope of New York and federal laws makes the issue hard to define and prosecute.”

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A study by the Tahirih Justice Center reports that forced marriage is a problem in the united states, “with as many as 3,000 known and suspected cases identified by survey respondents in just the last two years. The fact that potentially thousands of young women and girls from immigrant communities may face forced marriages each year in the United States is alarming and demands attention. Just as alarming: community-based service providers working on the frontlines are struggling with how to recognize and handle forced marriage cases, and how to offer a lifeline to an individual who may have only one chance to reach out for help. Other key findings from Tahirih’s survey include: Forced marriage is being seen in immigrant communities from 56 different countries… Two out of three respondents (67%) felt that there were cases of forced marriage not being identified in the populations with which they work—this finding suggests a significant population of ‘hidden victims’ beyond the potentially 3000 cases identified through Tahirih’s survey. Less than 10% of respondents said they had a working definition of forced marriage at their agency, and less than a quarter of respondents (22%) said their agency’s screening and referral process enabled them to identify cases where forced marriage may be of concern…Less than one in five respondents (16%) said that their agency was properly equipped to help individuals facing forced marriage.  Almost half of respondents (46%) who provided information on particular tactics used against victims reported that victims had been subjected to actual physical violence. 13 respondents also reported murder attempts among the forced marriage cases they encountered, and 1 respondent reported an actual murder. 42 respondents reported that they had encountered forced marriage victims who had contemplated or attempted suicide. These and other survey findings suggest that we are seeing just the tip of the iceberg on this problem—that thousands of individuals in the United States may be threatened with forced marriage each year, and yet at present, victims have little hope of finding the protection and assistance they need.”

A petition has been posted on the Change.org site, urging that the U.S. adopt a strategic and national action plan to combat forced marriage.