In Kazakhstan, there is an age-old custom called bridal kidnapping. Most Kazakh men who engage in bridal kidnapping have the consent of their bride-to-be, and most of these marriages have a happy ending. Unfortunately, it is not always done with the woman's full consent. Akbota Zhappar, a psychologist working in the Kazakh capital, believes it causes psychological trauma as the woman finds herself not fully in control of the situation and has become a victim. As the role of women in society is being re-examined globally, Kazakhstan is rethinking the role of bridal kidnapping in its society and, indeed, its future.