911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν’s Meg Webster published in β€˜HuffPost’

Meg Webster

Meg Webster of 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν’s School of Social Work has written an article for HuffPost titled β€œEscaping Forced Marriage in the DRC to Pursue a Dream: Portrait of a Young Immigrant Congolese Woman.”

Webster interviewed β€œAsha,” a young woman who fled from her home in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). When she was 18, a group of family leaders came to Asha’s home and informed her that she was to marry a 55-year-old man whom she had never met. Though Congolese law states that both parties must consent to being married, human rights groups report that this rule is rarely enforced.

β€œYou don’t have a choice, really,” Asha said. β€œIf you try to refuse, that’s when the consequences come...”

Asha, who had begun her university studies in the DRC, worked with her parents to obtain a visa to the United States where she could continue taking college courses. She currently lives in Portland and is enrolled in a pre-engineering program.

β€œSuccess is a must for me,” says Asha. β€œI don’t have room to fail.” 

Read the article on .

 

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