The Struggles of Mauritanian Lesbian Women in Forced Marriages: Between Lost Identity and Psychological Destruction

In a conservative society like Mauritania, lesbian women face enormous challenges, starting with social discrimination and extending to oppressive laws. 

One of the most brutal challenges, however, is forced marriage, where lesbian women are compelled to marry men without regard for their feelings or identities. This forced marriage not only denies their sexual identities but also deeply damages their psyches.

Forced Marriage: An Inescapable Reality

In Mauritania, marriage is considered a social and religious duty for women. For lesbian women, marriage becomes a trap, forcing them into a conflict with themselves and society. They are pressured by their families to marry men, with no consideration for their desires or sexual identities. In such cases, the lesbian woman is forced to pretend to fit into the role imposed upon her, resulting in constant suffering between her true self and the demands of society.

Building a Family in Denial

After marriage, lesbian women face additional pressure to have children and build a family, further complicating their lives. Many find themselves compelled to play the traditional roles of wife and mother, despite their attraction to women rather than men. This situation exacerbates their internal conflict, as the woman finds herself torn between her traditional role and her true inner self.

Psychological Destruction: The Cost of Denial

As this internal conflict continues, lesbian women suffer from devastating psychological effects. Forced marriage and identity denial lead to depression, anxiety and other psychological disorders. In some cases, this ongoing denial of their identity causes them to feel alienated from themselves and the lives they lead. They feel forced to live as someone else, not as their true selves, leading to a loss of self and a sense of emptiness.

Identity Denial: An Attempt to Escape Pain

As a result of this suffering, some lesbian women may try to deny their sexual identities in an attempt to adapt to the imposed situation. This denial is not a solution; instead, it often increases their suffering. They experience internal conflict and lose a sense of inner peace, making their daily lives filled with tension and pressure.

Mauritanian Society: Denial and Neglect

What makes the situation even more difficult for lesbian women in Mauritania is the society’s denial of their existence or unwillingness to acknowledge that there are lesbian women in the country. Mauritanian society views homosexuality as something foreign and non-existent in their culture, which deepens the isolation of these women and makes it difficult for them to find support or understanding for their situation. 

This denial intensifies the psychological pressure they endure, as they feel compelled to live under an identity that is not recognized at all.

Forced Marriage and Rape: Double Suffering

What lesbian women experience within forced marriages is considered a form of rape, as they are forced to have sex with their husbands without their desire, in a patriarchal society that does not recognize marital rape under any circumstances. The local culture considers it a man’s right to have sex with his wife whenever he wishes, and she has no right to refuse. This belief exacerbates the suffering of lesbian women, who find themselves forced to endure unwanted sexual relations, further deteriorating their mental health.

The suffering of lesbian women in Mauritania as a result of forced marriage is one of the harshest forms of discrimination faced by the LGBTQ+ community in the country. This situation not only violates their human rights but also destroys their psyches, forcing them to live lives completely at odds with their true identities. With society’s denial of their existence and neglect of their suffering, their lives become filled with psychological and social challenges, requiring increased awareness and efforts to provide them with the necessary support. This support is crucial to enabling them to live freely and with dignity, away from the social pressures that deprive them of the right to live as they desire.