Many women seek refugee protection fleeing
from forced marriages. However, because
there is no precedent establishing forced
marriage as a form of persecution, these
women often have to establish their claims on
related harms that already constitute
persecution, such as rape,. The article
discusses what constitutes forced marriage
and the development of requirements for
refugee protection. The author then examines
the meaning of persecution and how forced
marriage may fit within the definition.
Following this more general discussion, the
article analyzes a number of U.S. cases