Audio/Video
United States
BBC – Married at 15: America’s Child Brides
In Idaho child marriage laws require a court order from a judge, but in Missouri only the consent of a parent is needed. The BBC speaks with Heather, who was taken across the country so she could be married on her 15th birthday. Watch here.
Second Story – Simron
Simron wanted to go to college and pursue her dreams, while her family wanted to arrange the sort of marriage she had seen lead to abuse and injustice. As a high school senior, she left home to avoid forced marriage. Listen here.
The Dr. Oz Show – The Secret World of Child Marriages in America
Survivor and advocate Trevicia Williams shares the story of her forced marriage at age 14. Trevicia was able to obtain a divorce at age 17, and went on to get a degree, find a job, and advocate for changes to Texas laws addressing child marriage. Watch here.
Iris – Survivors of Child Marriages and Forced Marriages Speak Out
Three women who survived child and forced marriages speak out about their experiences in this powerful documentary short produced by Conde Nast. Watch here.
PBS NewsHour – Forced Marriage in the United States
Three courageous Tahirih clients — Jada, Lina, and Nina and Fraidy Reiss of Unchained At Last — share their stories with award winning journalist and author Gayle Tzemach Lemmon for PBS NewsHour.
Part One: Uncovering the problem of forced marriage in the U.S.
Part Two: When American girls are forced into marriage abroad, the U.S. can do little to rescue them
Jamie’s Story
Jamie’s family arranged her marriage when she was 19 — to a man who beat and raped her and abused their children. Unchained found Jamie a team of attorneys to represent her pro bono in family court. Unchained’s executive director babysat for Jamie’s children while she underwent surgery. Today Jamie is divorced and living in a cozy apartment (no longer in a domestic violence shelter) with the two children. She is attending college, where she is about 15 years older than most students but also is excelling: Jamie has a 3.7 GPA and is on the dean’s list. Watch here.
Thousands Of Young Women In U.S. Forced Into Marriage
Forced marriage survivor Lina shares her personal story of being taken overseas for a forced marriage with NPR’s All Things Considered. Listen here.
Fraidy Reiss – Escaping Forced Marriage, Rebuilding her Life
The founder of the New Jersey based non-profit Unchained at Last talks about her experience as a forced marriage survivor. Watch here.
Shedding Light On Forced Marriage In America
Tom Ashbrook, from NPR in Boston, speaks with Fraidy Reiss founder of Unchained at Last, Vidya Sri founder of Gangashakti and journalist Alyana Alfaro about the issue of forced marriage in the United States. Listen here.
Breaking the Cycle of Child Marriages: Zarif Sahin at TEDxRockCreekPark
Zarif Sahin, who was married off at the age of 14, discusses the complications she endured as a child bride and the challenges she had to overcome in order to obtain freedom for herself and her daughters. Watch here.
The Bride
2016 Women of the Word Poetry Slam winner, Emi Mahmoud performs her poem, The Bride. Watch here.
United Kingdom
The House I Grew Up In: Jasvinder Sanghera
The founder of UK based non-profit Karma Nirvana talks about her childhood and her experience as a forced marriage survivor in this BBC Radio broadcast. Listen here.
Right to Choose – Spotting the Signs of Forced Marriage
Summer holidays are the peak time for young people to be taken overseas and forced into marriage. In some cases, they are taken on what they have been told is a holiday to visit family abroad, but in fact a marriage has been planned. Once abroad, victims are even more isolated and getting help is more difficult. The British High Commission produced three, short, animated films about spotting the signs of forced marriage.
British High Commission Animated Shorts
The British High Commission produced three, short, animated documentaries on the issue of forced marriages in Pakistan in an attempt to raise awareness of this human rights violation.
Nadifa’s Story – Forced Marriage
At the age of 12 Nadifa was taken to Somalia, and at the age of 13 she was forced into marriage. This is her story. Watch here.
Forced marriage and immigration policies: understanding diversity or punishing difference?
Geetanjali Gangoli from the University of Bristol, gives a talk for the COMPAS seminar series on forced marriage and its implications on immigration and human rights. Listen here.
Forced Marriage Community Animation Project – Jo Lane
This animated short film tells the story of a young girl born in Iran who was forced to marry an older man. Watch here.
Banaz: A Love Story (Full length feature film)
Banaz A Love Story is a 2012 documentary film directed and produced by Deeyah Khan. The film chronicles the life and death of Banaz Mahmod, a young British Kurdish woman killed in 2006 in South London on the orders of her family in a so-called honour killing. Watch here.
Your Tomorrow
Animation by ChildLine informing children and young people about their rights around marriage and where to seek support if they are being forced to marry. Watch here.
Karma Nirvana Video Gallery – Browse here.
Australia
Forced Marriage in Australia – 4 Corners
This segment from Four Corners, an Australian news program, sheds light on the current state of forced marriage in Australia. Watch here.
Your Tomorrow
Animation adapted for Australian audiences informing children and young people about their rights around marriage and where to seek support if they are being forced to marry. Watch here.
