The Wire

Recent media reports suggest Australian girls as young as 14 have been sent overseas for arranged marriages. This has focussed the spotlight on arranged marriages occurring in Australia. Vice-Chair of the Islamic Women’s Welfare Council, Tasneem Chopra is concerned about the ramifications of this issue on young girls. She says girls as young as in year 10 are leaving school and getting married. “Some girls feel resigned to it, others non-plussed…they should be given the choice”. Professor Mary Kalantzis from RMIT says we should deal with these cases individually, as making generalisations is very dangerous.