Safety & Verification

What is the difference between arranged marriage and forced marriage?

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In an arranged marriage, relatives or intermediaries may identify and evaluate a proposal, but each person remains free to accept or refuse. A forced marriage occurs when genuine consent is absent because of threats, violence, confinement, deception or pressure that the person cannot realistically resist. Family involvement alone does not make a marriage forced, and eventual agreement does not cure coercion. Pakistani criminal law specifically punishes compelling or coercing a woman into marriage. Immediate safety concerns require protection and legal help, not further family negotiation.

Evidence

Sources used

Legal / Official Source · 1860

Pakistan Penal Code, 1860

Pakistan Code, Ministry of Law and Justice

Official criminal code; section 498B criminalizes compelling or coercing a woman into marriage.View source
Academic Research · 2011

Marriage decision-making and married youth in Pakistan

Population Council research archived by PubMed Central

Research on marriage timing, prior acquaintance and decision-making among young married Pakistanis.View source
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