Forced pregnancy is the practice of forcing a woman or girl to become pregnant or remain pregnant against her will. This act is often as part of a forced marriage, as part of a programme of breeding slaves, or as part of a programme of genocide.[1] Forced pregnancy is a form of reproductive coercion.[2]
The practices of bride kidnapping and forced marriage typically (with the exception of purely symbolic "bride kidnappings" which are actually consensual elopements) involve the rape of the "bride" with the intention of forcing her to become pregnant, putting her in a position where she becomes dependent on the rapist and his family and, because of cultural attitudes toward rape, unable to return to her own family.[4] In Kyrgyzstan, thousands of young girls and women are kidnapped every year to be forced into marriage. Although the practice was outlawed in 2013, bride kidnapping continues to exist, with destructive consequences for society. It is often referred to as a tradition, perceived as the obvious thing to do when the male is ready for marriage.[5] China is grappling with a pressing issue of bride trafficking. This predicament can be traced back to the country's historical one-child policy and the prevailing preference for male offspring, which have resulted in a significant gender imbalance. Consequently, numerous Chinese men are encountering challenges in their quest for life partners. Regrettably, due to security vulnerabilities within China, a distressing enterprise has arisen involving the trafficking of women and girls from neighboring nations. Over the years, the primary approach of the Chinese government has been to disregard the mounting accusations regarding the potential involvement of officials in these illicit activities.[6][7][8]
^"Forced pregnancy" means the unlawful confinement of a woman forcibly made pregnant, with the intent of affecting the ethnic composition of any population or carrying out other grave violations of international law. This definition shall not in any way be interpreted as affecting national laws relating to pregnancy; Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, 17 July 1998
^Gold, Hal (2011). Unit 731 Testimony (1st ed.). New York: Tuttle Pub. pp. 157–158. ISBN978-1462900824.
^Department Of State. The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs (2008-03-11). "Kyrgyz Republic". 2001-2009.state.gov. Retrieved 2019-11-23.