The laws of Australia protect the right of it's citizens to choose their own life partner. Each state regulates the minimum age at which a marriage can legally occur - and forced marriages are illegal.
Unfortunately, customs differ in many other parts of the world, and we now have citizens who have lived under those customs entering Australia as refugees. As a result, we are seeing a spate of forced marriages - and in many instances young girls are being married off to men of their parent's choice as " child brides ".
Enormous cultural pressures are being brought to bear to make daughters obey their parents wishes. In some cases, where our education system is making kids aware of their rights, guile is coming into play. Daughters are being taken on a " holiday " abroad, and when back in the old country they are shocked to find themselves " married " to a person unknown to them.
This opens up the mysterious labyrinth of " cultural expectations " and " honour ". Sometimes girls are " promised " as future brides to another family before they are born, and should they later reject that union it would impose an intolerable stain on the family's honour. It is not unknown for fathers or brothers to avenge such a stain by imposing death as a punishment.
The police and the courts are handicapped in imposing Australian law. Many parents believe that choosing a partner for their children - of both genders - is a " right ", and put children under enormous pressure to obey the customs of their former homeland. In many cases, their entire social life is dictated by a way of life that is not typically " Australian ".
The only weapon in this cultural war - is " education ", and that applies to both the parent and the child. Citizenship imposes an obligation to obey the laws of this country and that includes legal customs that may differ from other parts of the world.
The school education system can be a valuable vehicle for making children aware of laws that protect them, and we should be aware that religious schools may abstain from giving advice that differs from the wish of parents. Such schools must meet standards for legal recognition and instruction in Australian law must be included in the curriculum.
It will be a hard slog to unwind customs that go back many centuries, but time is on our side. This same clash of customs occurred with the migrant waves that flowed into Australia after the second world war. Today, descendants are
many times removed from those original settlers - and are at peace with the Australian custom landscape.
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