Synopses & Reviews
Forced Marriage brings together leading practitioners and researchers from the disciplines of criminology, sociology and law. Together the contributors provide an international, multi-disciplinary perspective that offers a compelling alternative to prevailing conceptualisations of the problem of forced marriage. The volume examines advances in theoretical debates, analyzes existing research and presents new evidence that challenges the cultural essentialism that often characterizes efforts to explain, and even justify, this violation of women's rights. By locating forced marriage within broader debates on violence against women, social justice and human rights, the authors offer an intersectional perspective that can be used to inform both theory and practical efforts to address violence against diverse groups of women. This unique book, which is informed by practitioner insights and academic research, is essential reading for practitioners and students of sociology, criminology, gender studies and law.
Review
"Avoiding the polemic that characterizes much discourse on forced marriage, this wide-ranging but coherent collection is not only a significant addition to the academic literature, it provides valuable insights for those working on the frontline supporting girls and women at risk. This wide-ranging yet coherent collection is not only a significant contribution to the academic literature, it also offers strategies for those on the frontline who are challenging forced marriage and supporting women and girls at risk. The writers here recognize the difficult balancing act involved in identifying the specificities of forced marriage without reinforcing cultural stereotypes, and the debates in this volume range from the theoretical level to concrete recommendations for policy makers and women's organizations. This volume will help ensure that policy in the UK and Europe frames forced marriage as the human rights abuse that it is rather than a problematic cultural practice divorced from 'mainstream' forms of violence against women and girls." -- Dr Moira Dustin, Visiting Fellow, LSE Gender Institute
About the Author
Aisha K. Gill is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology at Roehampton University. Sundari Anitha is a Lecturer in Criminology at the School of Social Sciences, University of Lincoln.
Table of Contents
Foreword - Professor Yakin Erturk, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
Introduction: Framing forced marriage as a form of violence against women - Aisha K. Gill and Sundari Anitha
Section 1: Definitions, contexts and theoretical concepts
1. Understanding forced marriage: Definitions and realities - Geetanjali Gangoli, Khatidja Chantler, Marianne Hester and Ann Singleton
2. Reconceptualising consent and coercion within an intersectional understanding of Forced Marriage - Sundari Anitha and Aisha K. Gill
3. Forced Marriage: The European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998 - Shazia Choudhry
4. Border control to prevent forced marriages: Choosing between protecting women and protecting the nation - Anja Bredal
5. The social construction of forced marriage and its 'victim' in media coverage and crime policy discourses - Sundari Anitha and Aisha K. Gill
Section 2: Policy and Practice
6. Forced marriage legislation in the UK: A critique - Aisha K. Gill and Sundari Anitha
7. The law, the courts and their effectiveness - Teertha Gupta and Khatun Sapnara
8. The practice of law-making and the problem of forced marriage: What is the role of the Muslim Arbitration Tribunal? - Samia Bano
9. Constructing Victims, Construing Credibility: Forced marriage, Pakistani women and the UK asylum process - Marzia Balzani
10. 'Wayward Girls' and 'Well-Wisher Parents': Habeas Corpus, Women's Rights to Personal Liberty, Consent to Marriage and the Bangladeshi Courts - Sara Hossain