Who decides who you marry?

“Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.”

(Article 16(2) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948)

Everyone has the right to choose whom they marry. This applies to girls as well as boys, regardless of their background, religion, skin colour or age.

Unfortunately, the reality is often quite different. In every country and culture, young people are forced into marriage against their will. In Germany, too, young people suffer the consequences of forced marriage.

Love can never be forced!

Advice for girls and young women seeking help – also available anonymously

Are you torn between wanting to please your parents and your own need to decide your own future?

Aims of our counseling

  • to encourage you to trust your own feelings regarding marriage and relationships;
  • to boost your self-confidence;
  • to inform you about all the options available to girls and young women in Germany if their family continues to insist on a forced marriage;
  • to explain the legal situation (see Section 237 StGB of the German Criminal Code);
  • to identify suitable support services.

Depending on the circumstances of each individual case, this may initially involve encouraging you to express your objections to your parents and to explore possible courses of action. The sooner this happens, the more likely it is that a solution can be found which your parents might be able to accept.

The top priority is therefore to assure girls and young women of protection, confidentiality and anonymous counselling. Counselling sessions should be conducted solely with the individuals concerned, in the absence of any family members who may be involved.

Consultations can take place in German, Turkish, English, Spanish or Arabic.

❗ In acute crisis situations:

We work closely together with Papatya, an organisation based in Berlin that supports girls and young women aged between 13 and 21 who have been affected by domestic violence, forced marriage and abduction.

Berlin Working Group Against Forced Marriage

Elisi Evi e.V. is an active member of the Berlin Working Group Against Forced Marriage (Berliner Arbeitskreis gegen Zwangsverheiratung). As part of our work, we are committed to establishing key structures and networks to protect young people in Berlin.