Forced marriages: balance of the international strategy to eliminate a ‘harmful cultural practice’

Forced marriages are a type of gender-basedviolence that is often protected through cultureor tradition, involving complex social, economic,and cultural factors. This complexity means thatidentifying the causes and impacts of thispractice requires an analysis of cross-sectoraspects of gender. Definition and typology arediscussed using a rights-based approach, andthe international legal framework is described,with particular emphasis on the 2011 IstanbulConvention. This survey provides an assessmentof the preventive, protective and legal measures(civil, criminal and immigration) implemented forprevention and punishment. It concludes byfocusing on a comprehensive approach that takesinto account both the reality of forced marriagesand the needs of victims