The common factor in forced marriage in Mexico is from tradition and poverty. It is most prevalent in rural areas among indigenous groups living in the Yucatan peninsula and southeastern states as they care more about their practices and customs over state legislations. Cases of child marriage have been reported where girls as young as 12 years of age from indigenous groups of Oaxaca poor families in exchange for money for their families. Other cases have surfaced that girls were sold and imprisoned or fined for trying to escape or avoid marriage.
Odilia Lopez Alvarez
An Indigenous girl was forced to get married in Chiapas, Mexico. Odilia Lopez Alvarez was 11 years old when she found out that her family was going to take her away to get married. The marriage was over an agreement along with pigs and household items. Odilia was scared and frightened and decided to run away from her village. Later on in her life she was able to become a staff member for the Chiapas Women’s Rights Centre.