O. Storms

Legal "ban" on transnational cousin-marriages: citizen debate in the Netherlands

In March 2014, the Dutch parliament, following Denmark, passed the Combatting Forced Marriage Act in which consanguineous marriages are equated with forced marriages. Why are cousin marriages, practiced worldwide and a recognized marriage pattern in the Netherlands, high on the political agenda nowadays? We will argue that a ban on consanguineous marriages should be seen within the context of the debates and policies about migration, citizenship and transnationalism. Our argument is threefold: first, the current debate is focused on consanguineous relations among migrants and is making use of particular definitions of women’s freedom. Secondly, the different ideas about women’s freedom are the product of, and reproduce the “culturalization of citizenship.” Thirdly, the process of “othering” that occurs through the “culturalization of citizenship” in relation to consanguineous marriages, is partly based upon a politics of indignation and disgust; modes of othering that are often neglected in the analysis of culturalization discourse.

Reproductive choices: a qualitative study of Dutch Moroccan and Turkish consanguineously married women’s perspectives on preconception carrier screening

BackgroundCousin marriages, in the Netherlands most frequently between Turkish or Moroccan couples, are at higher risk of having offspring with recessive disorders. Often, these couples not perceive or accept this risk, and it is hardly considered a reason to refrain from family marriages. Preconception carrier screening (PCS) is offered to Jewish groups, and more recently in the Netherlands, to genetically isolated communities. In this study, Dutch Moroccan and Turkish women’s perspectives on preconception carrier screening (PCS) and reproductive choices were explored.MethodsIndividual interviews were held with Dutch Turkish and Moroccan consanguineously married women (n = 10) and seven group discussions with Turkish and Moroccan women (n = 86). Transcripts and notes were analyzed thematically.ResultsAll women welcomed PCS particularly for premarital genetic screening; regardless of possible reproductive choices, they prefer information about their future child’s health. Their perspectives on reproductive choices on the basis of screening results are diverse: refraining from having children is not an option, in vitro fertilization (IVF) combined with pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) was welcomed, while prenatal genetic diagnosis (PND), termination of pregnancy (TOP), in vitro fertilization with a donor egg cell, artificial insemination with donor sperm (AID), and adoption, were generally found to be unacceptable. Besides, not taking any special measures and preparing for the possibility of having a disabled child are also becoming optional now rather than being the default option.ConclusionsThe women’s preference for PCS for premarital screening as well as their outspokenness about not marrying or even divorcing when both partners appear to be carriers is striking. Raising awareness (of consanguinity, PCS and the choice for reproductive options), and providing information, screening and counseling sensitive to this target group and their preferences are essential in the provision of effective health care.

The Reform of the Moroccan Family Law and Women's Daily Lives: Navigating Between Structural Constraints and Personal Agency

In the aftermath of the Arab spring, the expected positive impulse for gender equality seems rather the reverse. In Morocco however, women’s organizations have been fighting for decades for gender equality, with as a highpoint: the reform of the Mudawana (Morocco’s Family Law) in 2004. The reforms were preceded by vociferous debates between modernists and religious conservatives. Although the revisions of family law in 2004 accomplished the goal of greater legal equity between men and women in several areas of civil society, many Moroccans harbor serious reservations about the legal changes. Based on anthropological research conducted in the Netherlands and North-eastern Morocco, we propose a paper onthis chapter discusses how and why the reforms of the Mudawana were accomplished in Morocco and how these changes are implemented in the practices of daily life. The principal focus is on the Mudawana reforms that affect the options for women in divorce proceedings. Through an analysis of the revisions of Moroccan family law pertaining to marriage and divorce, the authors challenge the common portrayal of Muslim women as merely passive victims of their religion and culture. Instead, they argue that Moroccan women navigate between a range of structural constraints in order to claim an effective form of personal agency, enabling them to defend their own interests, which is not always making use of the “new” rights given.