An arranged marriage is by the families themselves to create a mutually beneficial union. They are normally arranged by the parents. They are a common tradition in many cultures; however, they are not the same as forced marriage as although both individuals may feel under pressure to get married, there is no legal enforcement to do so. There are exceptions of course, especially in countries like Niger and India having particularly high and disturbing rates of child brides, often pulled from school but agreeing to marry for whatever reason, as such in effect an “Arranged” marriage it is still a veneer, cloaking abuse in the name of tradition. In China, they are referred to as “blind marriages”.
Even though it is estimated that around half of the marriages worldwide are arranged by families on an individual’s behalf the rate of divorce in arranged marriages is very low (4%), this may be because of the shame that a divorce would bring to the family.
In effect an arranged marriage is like marrying someone on your first date, both sides relying on their family to effectively choose their life partner. The legal rules for arranged marriages are the same as those for any other type of marriage, however, there is less chance of a pre-nuptial agreement as both sides would have typically come from similar backgrounds.
Honour Killing
A woman who refuses to go through with an arranged marriage, tries to leave an arranged marriage via divorce or is suspected of any kind of immoral behaviour, may be considered to have dishonoured her entire family. This being the case, her male relatives may be ridiculed or harassed and any of her siblings may find it impossible to enter into a marriage. In these cases, killing the woman is a way for the family to restore their standing. Honour killings are often done publicly for all to see and there are frequently family members involved in the act.
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