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 Pakistan Code entry and linked consolidated text. Check the relevant section and subsequent amendments; an old PDF URL is not a reliable statement of current law.View source
Academic Research · 2011

Marriage decision making, spousal communication, and reproductive health among married youth in Pakistan

Global Health Action

Published 2011. Analyses 1,803 married women aged 15–24 from a 2001–02 survey; historical associations, not a current survey of spouse-selection choices.

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