Editing Mail-order bride (section)

{{Short description|Woman who advertises for marriage}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Other uses|Mail Order Bride (disambiguation)}}
A '''mail-order bride''' is a woman who lists herself in catalogs and is selected by a man for marriage. In the twentieth century, the trend primarily involved women living in [[developing country|developing countries]] seeking men from more developed nations. Men who list themselves in such publications are referred to as "mail-order husbands", although this is much less common. As of 2002, there were an estimated 100,000–150,000 mail order brides worldwide.<ref name="Foo 2002" />

The term ''mail-order bride'' has been criticized by international marriage agencies, who nevertheless continue to use it as an easily recognizable term.<ref>{{citation|title="Love Stops at the Border": Marriage, Citizenship, and the "Mail-Order Brides" Industry |author=AM D'Aoust |year=2009 |url=http://www.sas.upenn.edu/dcc/workshops/documents/DAoust_DCC_Grad_Workshop_paper.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100710103400/http://www.sas.upenn.edu/dcc/workshops/documents/DAoust_DCC_Grad_Workshop_paper.pdf |archive-date=10 July 2010 }}</ref> Women of Asian descent have also criticized the term, which they consider stigmatizing to women in such relationships. Consequently, some researchers have rejected the term.<ref name="Foo 2002" />