This multifaceted study describes the lives of 112 Bangladeshi girls and women who were sold as wives, mostly to men in Uttar Pradesh, India. The statistics derived from extensive interviews with those girls and women reveal useful information, such as age when migrated/trafficked, destination, religious identity, education level, reasons for marrying and contact with natal family after marriage. Data are also presented describing the dalals and dalalis — persons who engage in matchmaking and/or the trafficking of girls and women for marriage.
Although the statistics offer insights into the issue, it is the rich narratives of the girls’ and women’s life stories that speak to the complexity of the situation. Using the reviewed literature and those stories, the author shows how factors such as culture, religion and economics interact in influencing who is sold, who buys girls and young women and how they are treated as wives. Because the goal of the investigation was to describe and analyse the lives of girls and women sold as wives, there is no attempt to offer policy recommendations. However, the depth of the report provides important insights for policymakers.
