Study on involuntary arranged marriage

Criminalise forced and under-age marriage. Draw up a national action plan in order to bring the issue forward. These are some of the proposals made in a study on involuntary arranged marriage by the Swedish National Board for Youth Affairs. The aim is to shed light on what researcher Hanna Linell regards as an invisible problem.

'Today, society does not assume overall responsibility for this issue. Those who do not actively seek help are not noticed,' she says.

The study shows that around five per cent of 16- to 25-year-olds in Sweden feel that they are unable to choose freely who to marry. In this group there are more girls than boys, and most have a foreign background. Moreover, problems are much more common in religious families. A high share of young people with foreign origins also say that their parents would punish them if they were homosexual or bisexual.

'For the majority of young people the question does not arise. But for around 70,000 it is of the utmost relevance. Arranged marriage is linked to norms regarding virginity and control over people's sex lives, especially for girls. Girls are limited in their freedom of action, and boys are brought up to control their sisters. Such gender-specific expectations affect these young people's whole way of life,' says Hanna Linell.

Focus on marriage
The Board's study forms part of the government's work to increase knowledge on honour-related violence and repression. The task was to investigate the prevalence of involuntary arranged marriage and to shed light on the situation of those affected. It also involved assessing the level of existing knowledge among the relevant Swedish authorities and the need for further competence development, as well as making proposals for preventive measures.

'What surprised me was that the issue was so invisible, even for those who have worked with honour-related violence and repression for many years,' says Hanna Linell.

The focus on marriage brought new issues to the fore, she explains – issues relating to international law, different systems of norms and the view of divorce in different religious communities. So-called limping marriages, for example, are a problem that arises when divorce is not recognised and a man or a woman may be divorced under civil law but still seen as married within their own community or group.

'We hope that our report helps to add some pieces to the puzzle of young people's situation.'

Young people don't seek help
Young people at risk of being married against their will are unlikely to seek help to any great extent. This is confirmed by the authorities who took part in the study. The Migration Board encountered only 20 cases during 2008, but suspects a large number of unrecorded instances. The Tax Agency, which investigates impediments to marriage, encountered only one case.

The Swedish National Board for Youth Affairs received information from 14 organisations which cater to those exposed to honour-related violence and repression. In total, these organisations had come into contact with 248 young people seeking support and protection on account of an involuntary arranged marriage.

'Of the 70,000 young people who we estimate face restrictions and conditions in relation to marriage, around 8,500 are often or occasionally troubled over not being able to choose their own partner.'

Different approaches in different countries
The Swedish authorities have during the 2000s attached great importance to studying the concept of honour. The aim has been to try to understand and prevent honour-related violence that affects young people, and especially young women. There has been less focus on studying individual aspects of the problem, such as under-age marriage, arranged marriage or forced marriage.

In other countries such as the UK, Norway and Denmark, the authorities have done precisely the opposite. Now that more detailed work has begun in Sweden as well, new issues and problem areas have arisen.

'We have had different approaches. In Norway the view is that Sweden has come a long way in understanding the concept of honour. The Norwegians have worked more with concrete measures relating to legislation,' says Hanna Linell.

To arrange a marriage against someone's will is not in itself a crime in Sweden, whereas in Norway for example it is. Different countries have different conceptions of what constitutes force. The Swedish legislation rests on someone reporting a crime and standing by their statement, which few people are prepared to do.

In Norway, it is sufficient for a marriage to take place against the will of one or both parties for it to be defined as forced. But the question of what it means to do something against somebody's will is one that may have many answers, depending on who is asked.

'The boundaries are very difficult to draw. Who should decide – a third party or the individuals themselves? Young people's idea of what constitutes force – for example emotional pressure or the threat of exclusion – is not necessarily shared by their parents,' says Hanna Linell.

No scope to negotiate creates coercion
There are cases where arranged marriage is not necessarily problematic for the young person. It is when young people lack the scope to negotiate with their parents and other relatives that they feel coerced and lacking in freedom, according to Hanna Linell.

'Problems arise when the young person does not follow the established rules. Problems also arise when parents will not allow children to have an influence over their own lives in such an important area.'

In the UK, Norway and Denmark, researchers have chosen to look specifically at selected groups of young people, in particular those with roots in countries where the prevalence of arranged and forced marriage is judged to be highest. Swedish studies thus far have tried to take in all groups, being targeted broadly at all young people regardless of cultural background or social class.

'It's important to broaden the perspective as we have done in Sweden, but at the same time this makes it difficult to draw conclusions,' Hanna Linell points out. 'More targeted studies are needed now in Sweden as well.'

The new knowledge on the situation in Sweden as well as experience from other countries forms the basis for the study's conclusions. The Board's view is that it is now time to raise the profile of these problems and the young people who live with them.

'The Board has provided estimates of the number of young people living under these conditions and put forward proposals for appropriate measures. Now it is up to the government and parliament to decide how to proceed with the issue,' says Hanna Linell.

Facts:

• The Board's study on involuntary arranged marriage has been undertaken in cooperation with the Children's Ombudsman, the County Administrative Boards, the Migration Board, the Tax Agency and the National Board of Health and Welfare, among other organisations.


• Three noted surveys have provided important information for the study: the Board's own youth survey which was sent out to 6,000 young people aged between 16 and 25 years, the National Board of Health and Welfare's survey of students in the second year of upper-secondary school (17-year-olds) and Stockholm University's survey of 9th year students (15-year-olds) in the city of Stockholm.