Sponsored By:
GangaShakti.org
Vidya Sri is an American woman in the United States who founded Gangashakti to engage in community advocacy on the issue of forced marriage. "Ganga" refers to the Ganges river which symbolizes the feminine, life- giving energy on our planet. "Shakti" means the power of the energy within.
Forced Marriage Impacts a Wide Variety of Communities in the United States. It Crosses Religious, Cultural, and Socio-Economic Lines. No Religion Advocates Forced Marriage.
What is a Forced Marriage?
A Forced Marriage is a marriage with an absence of consent from one or both parties. A Forced Marriage is one in which coercion, violence, and/or fraud is used to cause the marriage. There is no ability to choose one’s partner and the right of refusal may be denied by the family for one or both individuals. The family and community play a complicit role in perpetrating the violence, coercion, and/or fraud. Significant shaming and intimidation is used to cause a forced marriage.
How is This Different From an Arranged Marriage?
There is a presence of duress and an absence of free will in a forced marriage that differentiates it from other types of marriages including an arranged marriage, where, although the parties to the marriage are introduced to each other, the final decision to marry remains with the two parties.
Go to http://www.gangashakti.org to learn more
| Action Type: | Awareness Raising |
Photo Gallery
31 Dec 2012
October 26, 2012: Guest Speaker on Forced Marriage, “Violence Against Women: The Varied Faces of a Global Epidemic.” Raritan Valley Community College Conference Center, Branchburg, NJ.
31 Dec 2012
October 25, 2012: “Forced Marriages: Honor and Shame” Women’s Center, Central Connecticut State University.
31 Dec 2012
October 19, 2012: Exhibitor, New Jersey Statewide Network for Cultural Competence Annual Conference, Sayreville, NJ.
31 Dec 2012
October 18, 2012: “Unspoken” Conference, Utica, NY. “Forced Marriage in the United States,” a Panel Presentation.
31 Dec 2012
September 29, 2012: Guest Lecture, Graduate Level Advanced Practice Class in Social Work, Center on Violence Against Women and Children, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
Location
United StatesSponsor
Contact Information
GangaShakti.org
Founder
vidya [at] gangashakti [dot] org
N/A
Our Partners
- Dr. Judy Postmus, Director, Center for Violence Against Women and Children, Rutgers University
- Dr. Krishna Sarda, CEO, Ethnic Minority Foundation, UK
- Edward J. Madara, Director, NJ & American Self-Help Clearinghouses
- Lisanne Divine, Advocate, NY
- Nasim Hoomanrad, MSW, Outreach Coordinator, Ohio Domestic Violence Network
- Regina Yau, Founder and President, The Pixel Project
- Rupa Khetarpal, LCSW
- Women's Center Coalition, Rutgers University
- World Cultures Study Group, Women's Studies Research Center, Brandeis University
