BBC Documentaries

My Forced Unwanted Wedding (2011x165)

Uitzenddatum: Sep 19, 2011

Born and bred in Lancashire, 17-year-old Alia was coerced into marrying a stranger in Pakistan and only allowed home once pregnant. Meanwhile, Jessie is marooned in rural Bangladesh, promised to a cousin twice her age. These young women are terrified of marrying a stranger, and even more terrified of shaming their families should they dare to refuse; and if they flee they face a lifetime ostracised from family and community. Itís heartbreaking, especially when, a year after escaping, Alia finally gives in to parental pressure and agrees to return to Pakistan. Documentary offering an insight into arranged marriages, a practice that involves 8,000 British people every year. Following one married woman and another facing nuptials in Bangladesh, the film observes how they cope with pressure from families expecting them to wed out of honour and not love.