UNICEF / Kiripost Arranged and forced marriages continue to shape the lives of young people in Cambodia, with indigenous girls and LGBTQ+ communities facing the harshest pressures. Despite growing awareness, tradition, poverty and family honour remain powerful forces driving early unions. In Ratanakiri’s Jarai community, marriages are often arranged as early as 13 or 14. Leap Romam, a youth activist, described how families lock children in rooms or starve them until they agree to wed. Parents believe marriage protects daughters from gossip or sexual assault, while poverty pushes families to see husbands as financial lifelines. Some even offer daughters to credit officers in exchange for stability. For LGBTQ+ youth, the struggle is different but equally severe. Sokcheat Seng explained that queer children are often coerced into opposite‑sex marriages to preserve family honour. Parents resort to confinement, forced separation, or even “exorcisms” by traditional healers. Emotional blackmail is common, with sick parents threatening suicide unless their child marries. Many comply, planning to divorce later, but the psychological toll can be devastating. Civil society groups warn that forced marriages lead to abuse, domestic violence and lifelong trauma. Surveys show girls in rural areas are disproportionately targeted, while boys are spared until they are older. Families often pull daughters out of school, fearing both the cost of education and the risk of sexual assault if left unsupervised. Organisations such as Gender and Development for Cambodia argue that education is the most effective safeguard. Girls with only primary schooling face nearly three times the risk of early marriage compared to those who complete secondary education. Campaigners are calling for stronger legal protections, mental health support, safe shelters, and awareness programmes to challenge harmful norms. As Sokcheat put it: “Coercion never yields good results; it only brings conflict. Acceptance brings true harmony and family happiness.” -2026-07-03
