Authors: Meredith Dank, Hanna Love, Sino Esthappan, and Janine Zweig

Published: January 2018

This exploratory study examined forced marriage in the United States context and focused on the nature and scope of forced marriage, the intersection between forced marriage and violence and abuse as well as services needed and received by those who have experience forced marriage in the U.S. It was conducted by researchers at the Urban Institute in partnership with the Tahirih Justice Center, with funding from the National Institute of Justice. Please contact the Tahirih Justice Center for more information on the research design and implications of the study’s findings.

Author: Tahirih Justice Center

Publication: January 2014

This document outlines the Tahirih Justice Center’s policy recommendations regarding what the U.S. can do to end forced marriage.

Author: Lisa V. Martin

Publication: May 30, 2018

This report, published in the Nevada Law Journal, is the first to undertake a detailed evaluation of the viability of civil protection orders to prevent and redress forced marriage in the United States. Although protection orders show promise as a tool to prevent and redress forced marriage in many states, Martin writes, the nuances of the governing legal standards reduce the practical utility of the remedy for those who lack expert guidance. To enhance the accessibility of protection orders in a forced marriage context, Martin recommends that states create a new forced marriage protection order to address the specific needs of those facing this problem.

Author: Laura Vidal
Publication: December 2017

In this report to the Churchill Trust, Laura Vidal showcases learning on the treatment of forced marriage from Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, Denmark, the United States, Canada, and Kenya. From her observations of how the practice is addressed in these countries, Vidal distills a list of best practices and makes recommendations for how Australia can better respond to child, early, and forced marriage.

Author: Council of Europe Steering Committee for Human Rights
Publication: December 2017

The Steering Committee for Human Rights of the Council of Europe has published a report entitled Guide to Good and Promising Practices Aimed at Preventing and Combating Female Genital Mutilation and Forced Marriage. The report is intended to raise awareness of the issues; reinforce National and European legal frameworks and the cooperation between member States; and ensure coherent policies and better implementation of legislative efforts aimed at ending the practices.