New laws are to be introduced by the home secretary to jail parents who force their children to marry.
Theresa May is due to outline how it will be a criminal offence in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Scotland already has a forced marriage law.
BBC reports that up to 8,000 young women a year are estimated to be
forced into marriages without their consent.
But campaigners warn criminalising forced marriage altogether could deter victims from coming forward.
The new law is expected to distinguish between forced marriages, where there is no consent, and arranged marriages.
A Home Office consultation, which ended in March, was launched at the request of Prime Minister David Cameron, who has said forced marriage is "little more than slavery" and "completely wrong".
Mrs. May is also expected to announce a £500,000 fund to help schools and other agencies spot early signs of a forced marriage.
And a government advertising campaign will highlight an individual person's right to choose who they marry.
A similar law was introduced in Scotland in November giving courts there the power to issue protection orders to those at risk, which if breached could carry a two-year prison sentence.
Since 2008, courts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have been able to issue civil orders, under the Forced Marriage Act, to prevent forced marriage or protect victims.
News credit: The Nation
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