During the Traditional African Society, parents selected a spouse for their own children basing on background, discipline or the relations that existed between the two families.

However, till date in most cultures, the parents have to first approve the marriage of their children. This has raised a lot of issues depending on the assimilation of the Western culture whereby even contract marriages are embraced and are renewed according to what is stated in the contract.

Therefore as a parent would you force your child to get married to a spouse they are not in love with? Below is what some people said regarding the issue.
Nsinga Buki (Managing Director of @globeTech)

Forcing your child to get married to someone who he or she is not in love with is very unsafe; this kind of arrangement can be disastrous consequently leading to divorce or abuse.
Alex Bisengimana (Security Guard with FODEY)

I can never force my child to get married to someone they are not in love with so as to fulfil my own ambitions since the happiness of the child should be the priority above all.
Sarah Dunigan

I would not force my child to marry someone they don’t love because it’s up to my child to select their own spouse.
Papias Kazawadi (Private Contractor)

This is entirely unacceptable since everyone has to respect the choice and decisions of the person who is going to get married since it’s their own responsibility.
Justine Uwamaria

It’s not right for a parent to dictate their children‘s marriage by enforcing spouses they are not in love with since marriage is a long life institution built on love and commitment.
Radhika Bhalla (Design Consultant)

Although I’m not a parent as yet but I hopefully will not  force my child to get married to someone they are not in love with because I would not want my mother to force me into marring a man I’m not in love with.   

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