When we hear the expression „mail-order bride,“ we usually picture a woman from a distant land who presents herself in brochures seeking a husband. Typically, these women are from regions in Southeast Asia, Eastern European Europe and Southern America.
While online platforms and international agencies have modernized the process, issues remain regarding exploitation and authority imbalances.
Legal Factors
Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, increasing numbers of Central and Eastern European women have advertised themselves as mail-order brides through international marriage brokers. This has led to pleas for oversight of the field and defense of the liberties of women in such relationships.
While the idea of a mail-order marriage is often portrayed in a negative light, the truth is far from the grim stereotype. For many duos, the experience has been life-changing and has enhanced the lives of both the women and men involved. However, there are challenges that must be tackled, including remote communication and cultural differences.
Visa Protocols
The visa process for binding a mail order bride can be complicated. The couple will need to meet various requirements, including meeting financial obligations and completing the necessary visa work and paperwork. Individuals will also need to be prepared to navigate cultural differences, remote communication and the speech barrier.
Many mail order brides are migrants from nations like the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Byelorussia and Eastern Europe whose economies is less developed than that of the United States. They may be in search of a spouse who can provide them with a secure home and a life of opportunity.
The validity of the mail order bride market has been discussed due to accusations of trafficking in persons and exploitation. Despite these assertions, there are cases of women who find marriage through this channel and are happy in their unions. In addition, the popularity of shows such as TLC’s 90 Day Fiance may motivate more foreign women to seek this route into the United States.
Monetary Factors
Mail-order brides often look for husbands for monetary reasons. They are departing from economically precarious families and unstable countries in search of financial stability that supposedly comes with the marriage. Women may bring humble dowries or private savings, while men pay for travel expenses. This makes the process a form of human trafficking, but scholars also point out that some individuals are seeking to marry for love rather than financial gains.
The legacy of frontier mail order brude marriages endures in new forms, linking people across continents via international matchmaking services. While the incentives for these couplings remain alike to those of conventional marriages, remote communication and a international economy have brought many transformations. Nevertheless, the idea of buying a spouse continues to raise worries about the principled and juridical implications for individuals looking to engage with their possible mates internationally. Many online services offer clarity regarding costs and provide detailed invoice printouts to assist in cost management. Moreover, testimonials indicate that when expectations around cost are clarified early on, disputes and conflicts are relatively rare.
Legal Challenges
The term “mail-order bride” elicits a notion of an oppressed woman from a far-off land, coerced into a marriage against her will. While this is often true, there are also many cases of cross-border marriages that are just and based on mutual consideration, insight, and genuine connection.
Nonetheless, the potential for manipulation exists. Some scholars have analogized mail-order brides to underage brides, and there is a great deal of scholarship arguing that international marriage brokers sell women for profit, the women do not know their future partners, or the lived situation they will be engaging with, and there is a large power differential (Jackson, 2002; Jones, 2011; Tyldum, 2013).
Some nations have enacted laws against this behavior, including the Philippines anti-mail-order-bride law and provisions in the VAWA and IMBRA. However, it is vital to remember that the issues are complicated and are international. This means that meaningful reform needs to go beyond domestic legal actions to address the exploitation of international brides.