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Unearthing the Customary Law Foundations of ‘Forced Marriages’ during Sierra Leone’s Civil War: The Possible Impact of International Criminal Law on Customary Marriage and Women’s Rights in Post-Conflict Sierra Leone

  • Karine Belair

Summary

This article explores the use/misuse of the word “marriage” to describe the relationship between rebels and their captured “wives” in conflict, and its potential impact on the customary law of marriage. It uses the experience of war in Sierra Leone to help explain the development and application of the word ‘marriage’ to explain the rebel-captive relationship, exploring the concept of forced marriages and the transformative effect they have on societies.

Citation

Belair, Karine. “Unearthing the Customary Law Foundations of ‘Forced Marriages’ during Sierra Leone’s Civil War: The Possible Impact of International Criminal Law on Customary Marriage and Women’s Rights in Post-Conflict Sierra Leone.” Columbia Journal of Gender and Law 15 (2006): 551-607.

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