Benefits of Arranged Married Relationships

In culture and custom, marriage is valued. Many early marriages were prearranged. Although the parents and family play an important role in arranging marriages, the spouses can decide whether or not they want to marry. Many view arranged marriages as a cultural tradition that is well-established and flourishes within many communities. Therefore it is important to draw a clear line between forced or arranged unions. Some cases may only be semantic. In some cases, girls and women involved in forced marriages may be denied basic human rights.

Obligatory marriages can be different than arranged ones because they are forceful, coercive or deceptive. They may involve emotional pressure from relatives or members of the community to abduct or imprison. Emotional pressure by a victim's family can include repeatedly telling the victim her social standing and reputation is at stake as well as isolating or refusing to talk to her. In some cases, the victim might be subjected sexually or physically to abuse, even rape. In arranged marriages, both parties get to know and negotiate with each other Indian matrimony.

While the majority of wealthiest people are not able to have an obligatory or early marriage, and they also tend to be less common, many parts of Kenya still practice arranged maritals, particularly for those in positions of power and authority, like the chief of the village.

Arranged marriages do not include falling in love, or breaking up with your spouse. My grandmother shared with us that her wedding was arranged. She did not want to be married. She described this story with great sadness. She stated that five men forced her out her parents home, and carried her by her shoulders (since there wasn't a means of transport) for more than 30 miles to her new husband. At her arrival, she was too exhausted to argue. Her introduction was, "This man here will be you husband tonight." I couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking. She told me she was terrified and scared beyond belief. Paying a high amount of dowry to her parents was due to the fact that she was a virgin when she was born. The five men who carried her to the hospital will give a cloth soaked in blood back to her parents to prove she was virgin. This brought honor and respect to the parents in their community.

Obligatory and premature marriages are associated with severe psychological or emotional problems. They can be with strangers as a husband or with people who do not care.