A/HRC/21/41

The Special Rapporteur provides an overview of her activities and focuses her thematic report on the issue of servile marriage, in which a spouse is reduced to a commodity over whom any or all the powers of ownership are attached. The Special Rapporteur discusses the root causes of servile marriage, which include gender inequality, ideas of family honour, poverty, conflict and cultural and religious practices. She also outlines the various forms of servile marriage, as defined in the Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery, and highlights the need to view such marriages as forms of slavery so as to better inform and shape actions to prevent servile marriage and support victims. The Special Rapporteur recommends that the Human Rights Council develop a more comprehensive approach to the issue of servile marriage and that States enact legislation to prevent servile marriage, provide support to victims and launch campaigns to raise awareness of servile marriage and its negative impact.