What is forced marriage?
A forced marriage is one where one or both parties are coerced into a marriage against their will and under duress.
Duress includes both physical and emotional pressure. Victims can suffer many forms of physical and emotional damage including being held unlawfully captive, assaulted and repeatedly raped.
Forced marriage is an abuse of human rights and cannot be justified on any religious or cultural basis.
It is very different from arranged marriage, where both parties give their full and free consent to the marriage. The tradition of arranged marriages has operated successfully within many communities and many countries for a very long time.
"Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouse"
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 16
How big is the problem?
No-one knows exactly how many people are being forced into marriage each year because many victims don't seek help or say that they are being forced into a marriage.
The UK Government's Forced Marriage Unit deals with 250-300 cases each year.
What help is available for people at risk of forced marriage?
If you fear you may be forced into marriage overseas, or know someone else who may be, the Forced Marriage Unit can help. The sooner they know about the case, the more they can do to help.
You can call the Forced Marriage Unit Helpline on 020 7008 0151 and you can e-mail them at fmu@fco.gov.uk
All calls and e-mails will be dealt with on a totally confidential basis by skilled caseworkers fully aware of the cultural, social and emotional issues surrounding this abuse.
The Forced Marriage Unit's website provides information and advice for victims of forced marriage and professionals attempting to tackle forced marriage.
Women can also call the Scottish Women's Aid Helpline on 0800 027 1234. For a women's aid organisation in your area, check their list of local groups for contact details.
"A Wrong Not a Right": The Consultation
Currently, there is no specific criminal offence relating to forced marriage within the United Kingdom.
In 2005 The Executive linked with the UK Government to undertake a consultation which, as well as considering the benefits and risks of a legislative response to this problem, aimed to get underneath the surface of the issue and hear directly from those who have been affected by it.
A total of 157 responses were received from organisations and individuals across the UK. The highest number of responses came from London and Scotland.
The majority of respondents did not feel that spending resources on creating specific legislation was justified. They suggested that the money could be more usefully spent on tackling the issue through non-legislative routes - such as increased education and awareness-raising, and better support for victims and survivors.
A summary of responses to the consultation on the criminalisation of forced marriage was published on June 7, 2006 by the UK Government's Forced Marriage Unit (FMU), as part of its ongoing programme of work to tackle the issue.
You can read the summary on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's website.
Forced Marriage Network
The Scottish Executive takes forced marriage very seriously. In March 2005 we established the Forced Marriage Network to bring together the key statutory and voluntary agencies in Scotland to share expertise and knowledge and progress work to tackle forced marriage.
The Network met twice in 2005. You can read the notes of these meetings: