Helping Victims of Forced Marriages

Aim

Tackling forced marriage directly, offering support to victims and education to organisations.

What is a forced marrage?

A forced marriage is where one or both people do not (or in cases of people with learning disabilities, cannot) consent to the marriage and pressure or abuse is used. It is an appalling and indefensible practice and is recognised in the UK as a form of violence against women and men, domestic/child abuse and a serious abuse of human rights.

The pressure put on people to marry against their will can be physical (including threats, actual physical violence and sexual violence) or emotional and psychological (for example, when someone is made to feel like they’re bringing shame on their family). Financial abuse (taking your wages or not giving you any money) can also be a factor.

What is our aim?

We aim to set-up a charity which operates both inside the UK, where support is provided to any individual, and overseas, where assistance is provided to British nationals, including dual nationals.

To open a helpline to provide advice and support to victims of forced marriage. The assistance provided ranges from simple safety advice, through to aiding a victim to prevent their unwanted spouse moving to the UK (‘reluctant sponsor’ cases), and, in extreme circumstances, to rescues of victims held against their will overseas.

We also aim to carry out media campaigns to raise awareness amongst young people at risk of being forced into marriage, as well as potential perpetrators.

This project is very dear to my heart as one of my close friends Elizah was a victim of forced marriage when she returned to her home country. Please help raise funds to support this charity so there is not another Elizah!

This project closed unsuccessfully on 9th March 2017