Families Formed Under Forced Marriage During the Genocide in Cambodia: Exploring the Perspectives of Men, Women, and Children

This paper explores the realities of men and women forced to marry by the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, as well as the perspectives of children born of forced marriages. Forced marriage has been predominantly investigated in relation to violence and coercion towards girls and women. However, less attention has been paid to forced unions involving both spouses, as well as to children born of these couples. Data were collected from 80 participants, including in-depth interviews with 28 women and 30 men who experienced forced marriage, and focus groups with 22 children born of forced marriages. Those who experienced forced marriage highlighted the coercion and threats of violence that underlay the marriage process. However, interviews also pointed to spouses’ key coping mechanisms and resources, such as the long-term acceptance of the marriage and support from larger community, which sustained positive familial relations. Children born of these unions, who regarded their parents’ marriage as generally loving and supportive, corroborated these findings. Our study revealed the ways in which forced marriages within the context of genocide were not necessarily characterized by domestic violence and abuse. We suggest that the shared and widespread nature of forced marriage and post-genocide community support may play a role in leading to positive family relationships in the context of unwanted unions.