Arranged and Forced Marriages

I am appalled to learn that arranged and forced marriages still occur in this day and age!  And child marriages still occur, too!  I was not aware that even boys are sometimes the victims of forced child marriages to older women. 

I believe in giving people cultural freedom, but also believe in individual freedom and consent, especially for children.

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From wikipedia:  Arranged marriage is a type of marital union where the brides and grooms are selected by the partners themselves, with total involvement of the families and social circles of them in the selection process. In some cultures a professional matchmaker may be used to find a spouse for a young person. This is in contrast to forced marriages, where either the bride or the groom or both have no say in the marriage. This is also in contrast to the dating process, where either there is no involvement of the families and social circles.

Arranged marriages have historically been prominent in many cultures. The practice remains common in many regions, notably South Asia, though in many other parts of the world, the practice has declined substantially during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Forced marriages, practised in some families, are condemned by the United Nations, and is not an arranged marriage. The specific sub-category of forced child marriage is especially condemned.[1] In other cultures people mostly choose their own partner.

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From wikipedia:  Forced marriage is a marriage in which one or more of the parties is married without their consent or against their will. A marriage can also become a forced marriage even if both parties enter with full consent if one or both are later forced to stay in the marriage against their will. The United Nations views forced marriage as a form of human rights abuse, since it violates the principle of the freedom and autonomy of individuals.

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From wikipedia:  Child marriage is a marriage or similar union, formal or informal, between a child and an adult or another child. 

Child marriage has lasting consequences on girls, from their health (mental and physical), education and social development perspectives.[2] These consequences last well beyond adolescence.[60] One of the most common causes of death for girls aged 15 to 19 in developing countries was pregnancy and childbirth.[61] In Niger, which is estimated as having the highest rate of child marriage in the world, about 3 in 4 girls marry before their 18th birthday.[62][63] 

Boys are sometimes married as children; UNICEF states that "girls [are] disproportionately affected by the practice. Globally, the prevalence of child marriage among boys is just one sixth that among girls."[4] Research on the effects of child marriage on underage boys is scant, which researchers state is likely because child marriage involving boys is less common and girls being at risk for adverse health effects as a result of early pregnancy and childbirth.[5] The effects of child marriage on boys include being ill-prepared for certain responsibilities such as providing for the family, early fatherhood, and a lack of access to education and career opportunities.[5] As of September 2014, 156 million living men were married as underage boys.[64]

In its first in-depth analysis of child grooms, UNICEF revealed that an estimated 115 million boys and men around the world were married as children. Of these, 1 in 5 children, or 23 million, were married before the age of 15. According to the data, the Central African Republic has the highest prevalence of child marriage among males (28 per cent), followed by Nicaragua (19 per cent) and Madagascar (13 per cent). The estimates bring the total number of child brides and child grooms to 765 million. Girls remain disproportionately affected, with 1 in 5 young women aged 20 to 24 years old married before their 18th birthday, compared to 1 in 30 young men.

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(Some arranged and forced marriages take place in zoos. The other animals have to watch, too.)