On the occasion of the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, La Strada International, the French Embassy and Open Gate, launched a new campaign to raise awareness and call for action against forced marriage, specifically the exploitation of forced marriage for the purposes of human trafficking. The campaign is co-funded by the European Union.
Forced marriage is not a tradition – it is violence.
Forced marriage is marriage without consent. It denies people, especially women and girls, the fundamental right to freely decide whether, when, and whom to marry. It often involves coercion, threats, abuse of vulnerability, deception, exploitation, and violence. It must be recognised and addressed for what it is: a serious crime and a grave human rights violation.
Forced marriage, as well as child marriage, is a longstanding and deeply rooted practice that continues to pose significant legal and social challenges worldwide. Forced Marriage can be linked to the act of human trafficking when the marriage is used to recruit a person for the purpose of exploitation. Moreover, physical, and sexual violence and threats of violence are often used forms of coercion, next to abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of a position of vulnerability, to force in particular women or girls, to marry.
Last year, the revised EU Anti-Trafficking Directive entered into force, explicitly including the exploitation of forced marriage in the human trafficking definition. Now, EU member states have until July 2026 to fully transpose the revised Directive into national law. Moreover in 2024, the EU also adopted its first-ever EU law on combating violence against women. The law requires all EU countries to criminalise forced marriage, next to other forms of violence against women and domestic violence and contains detailed rules on the measures of assistance and protection that member states should provide to victims. States should also subject offenders to appropriate penalties. These legislative developments are an important step forward, as these can help to effectively prevent and combat forced marriage and human trafficking.
Now that a comprehensive European legislative framework is in place, it is essential that both directives are now adequately transposed into national legislation. Forced marriage is already criminalized in most EU countries, largely in response to the requirements set forth by the Istanbul Convention. Many countries also establish civil law consequences for both forced and underage marriages, further reinforcing legal protections. However, Forced marriage is generally not yet incorporated into national criminal definitions of trafficking in human beings. Next to legislative changes, states should also ensure effective enforcement mechanisms, next to sustained efforts to dismantle the socio-cultural and economic drivers that perpetuate the practice.
La Strada International urges policymakers, civil society, and international institutions to ensure proper implementation and protection for all affected. We call upon governments and the international community to effectively tackle and prevent forced marriage and human trafficking for the exploitation of forced marriage, by:
- Ensuring the adequate transposing of the VAW/DV Directive and the THB Directive into national law
- Providing more guidance and training to all relevant actors on how to interpret and comply with this criminalised form of violence
- Raising awareness of forced marriage, especially among young people, to ensure the early identification of those at risk of forced marriage
- Engaging affected communities in prevention and awareness actions
- Ensuring adequate referral and specialised support services to victims
- Enhancing further research and interagency cooperation
- Funding of organisations and activities, supporting victims of (trafficking for the exploitation of) forced marriage.
Read our Statement on Tackling Forced Marriage and Human Trafficking published on 8 March 2025 to mark International Women’s Day, where we outline the urgent need for a coordinated and human rights-based response.