Marriage is supposed to be a happy phase where people canstart continuing their lives with someone they love or someone who becomes their life-long partner.
However, forced marriages still happen in some places, including India and Pakistan, and most of the victims are girls or women since they are not given freedom to make their own choice.
As a result, most of them aredepressed and their marriages end up in divorce.
Rida Shah, a Pakistani photographer tried to bring this issue through pictures.
Shahis a Visual Communication student in National College of Arts (NCA) who likes to deliver messages through her artworks including pictures, illustrations, paintings or statues.
Now, she creates pictures with women who become victim of forced marriage as the theme.
In this so called Islamic society of ours, its surprising how so many false and unfair practices are followed even by our most educated families. One of those is forcing your child to marry someone absolutely without their consent, she said.
She then continued, And the list goes on and on. I completely respect the fact that parents have the right to suggest their children who they should marry and who they shouldn't, but Islam does NOT give them the right to take this decision all by themselves, especially when their child isn't willing to.
Rida then revealed that many children are also got into forced marriages.
It is estimated that 21% of girls in Pakistan are forced to get married before the age of 18. These marriages either end up in divorces or children blaming their parents all their life.
Heres a small series of photographs I recently took portraying this horrible act which has been practiced by years. I know it wont end this practice, but at least it may convey the darker side of it and educate someone to take a step, Shah wrote.
Here are some of the stunning pictures of the series.
(brl/red)
