Through this programme we hope to support, inform and facilitate actions across the world which will increase women's self-determination in the control over their bodies within marriage. I had a lot of pain. I used to be scared when he came to get me and carry me to his bed. I only told you because you asked. I have never told anyone before.
Women feel ashamed and embarrassed to speak of such experiences.
Partly this is because the language to describe what happens is not customarily used by women in many environments but also because of the difficulty women have in speaking about their 'less than perfect' marriage. The policy context is also important in facilitating or inhibiting women's ability to challenge sexual violence in marriage. Some countries actually reward rape with marriage, allowing the rapist to escape prosecution by offering to marry his victim Early Marriage Even before birth a child can be committed to a family through marriage, by her parents. From birth to adulthood girls may be forced, coerced, tricked or kidnapped into marriage - sometimes to a boy but often to a man, who she may never have seen before and who may be many years older than her. Marriages of young girls bring precipitous sexual relations to premature bodies .