Forced marriage as a modern form of slavery

Abstract

Forced marriage is an extremely controversial topic deeply rooted in Human Rights. It goes to the heart of debates on cultural relevancy acting as a visible fracture line in multicultural societies. This study explores how forced marriage should no longer be considered merely as a harmful tradition violating fundamental human rights, but increasingly as a disguise for human profiteering and exploitation, in particular in the sex industry. It will examine the current legal framework and theory on forced marriage and consider alterations which should be made to address this problem in the light of human trafficking. The overarching aim is to examine which human rights are violated by the practice in question and which positive obligations should be imposed on states to combat this phenomenon. The analysis will have a legal base, and will focus on both national and international legal frameworks, particularly newly passed British legislation. Due to the lack of public research on this issue, the study will have a qualitative approach. Literature on this topic is very limited; therefore research is framed mainly as an analysis of different national and international documents relevant to the area of investigation. The materials come largely from legislation, international conferences, interviews, and the internet. The study will propose solutions to focus attention on the problem and comprehensively address it.