Forced marriage and early marriages
Expert discussion, exhibition and information flyer on early and forced marriages
"A marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses." " This has been stated in Article 16 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights since 1948. In reality, however, girls and young women are still being forced into marriage or married at an early age, both worldwide and in Germany.
According to estimates, there were 3,500 cases of early or forced marriage in Germany alone in 2011. About one-third of those affected were born here.
With an expert discussion on early marriage and forced marriage and the exhibition "With the paintbrush against stolen childhood" by TERRE DES FEMMES and YAKA KOOP, MädchenHaus Mainz gGmbH, SOLWODI, the girls' working group, and the city's women's office provided information for the first time on the background, intervention, and protection in cases of (imminent) forced marriage on International Girls' Day 2018. With the information sheet "Help with (imminent) forced marriage in Mainz," the activists are staying on top of the issue. It provides a concise summary for (potentially) affected individuals or caregivers on what help is available in cases of impending forced marriage and where those affected can find help in Mainz.