What is forced marriage?
Everyone in Britain, whatever their religion or belief, has the right to choose whether to get married and who they want to marry. But in some cases people are forced into marriage because:
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it is to someone they don’t like or have never even met
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they are too young to get married (sometimes as young as 12 or 13) or they don’t feel ready to marry at all
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they do not have capacity to consent due to a physical and/or learning disability
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they are lesbian or gay and do not want to marry someone of the opposite sex
Forced marriage is distinct from an arranged marriage because in arranged marriages, although families may take a leading role in choosing the partners, the choice of whether to consent to the marriage remains with the potential spouses. Forced marriage affects people from many communities and cultures - for example, people from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, refugees and asylum seekers, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual people and disabled people.
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Practical help and advice is available for those who are:
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being forced to marry in the UK
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going abroad for a forced marriage
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in a forced marriage
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or concerned about somebody in a forced marriage or at risk of being forced to marry
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Call the Forced Marriage Unit on 020 7008 0151 (if dialling from overseas +44 (0)20 7008 0151). Open 9am- 5pm Monday to Friday; outside of these times call the Foreign Office Response Centre on 020 7008 1500
If you or the person you are concerned about is in immediate danger, dial 999.
What is honour based abuse?
The concept of ‘honour’ for some communities is extremely important. To compromise a family’s ‘honour’ is to bring shame and this can have severe consequences. Individuals are expected to behave in a way that protects perceived cultural and religious beliefs and/or honour. When behaviour is considered to breach this expectation, it is thought to bring shame on the family and/or community. The punishment for bringing dishonour can be emotional abuse, physical abuse, family disownment and in some cases even murder.
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In most honour-based abuse cases there are multiple perpetrators from the immediate family, sometimes the extended family and occasionally the community at large. Mothers, sisters, aunties and even grandmothers have been known to be involved in the conspiring of honour crimes.
Honour based abuse will often go hand in hand with forced marriages, although this is not always the case.
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There are a range of specialist services that you can contact for advice and information of forced marriage and 'honour' based abuse, you'll find in 'useful documents and links.'
Help, support & reporting
Dudley Single Point of Contact (SPOC)
The SPOC is a single point of contact for Dudley victims of domestic and sexual violence and abuse, including forced marriage and ‘honour’ based abuse.
Call 01384 455411
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Roshni
Roshni offers confidential, empathetic and non-judgmental emotional and practical support, over the phone, to victims and survivors aged from 13 years living in the West Midlands.
Call 0800 953 9777 (helpline is open 24/7 and can support with access to emergency refuge)
Visit https://www.roshnibirmingham.org.uk/forced-marriage-honour-based-abuse
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Ask Marc
Ask Marc offers men living In the Black Country specialist support around rape and sexual violence, childhood sexual abuse, grooming and exploitation, domestic abuse, stalking, forced marriage and so-called “honour”-based violence.
Visit www.askmarc.org.uk
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West Midlands Police
Advice & support for any situation you might be facing.
