During this live webinar, a panel of expert legal professionals from the United Kingdom provide background on the UK process which led to the creation of a civil forced marriage protection order (FMPO) in 2008, and the creation of a separate criminal offense of forced marriage as well as the criminalization of breaches of the FMPO in 2014. The panelists offer candid reflections on the current state of the law and the impact of the FMPO (over 850 issued to date) and criminalization (46 prosecutions reported since 2014; one conviction to date) on survivors’ willingness to come forward to seek help and their ability to access the resources they need.

Presenters Included:

Anne-Marie Hutchinson OBE, QC (Hon) is a partner at the Dawson Cornwell firm in London and a renowned family law attorney with expertise in forced marriages, children’s law, international family law, international custody disputes, and child abduction.

Nazir Afzal OBE was the Director of the United Kingdom’s Crown Prosecution Service from 2011-2015 and currently serves as Chief Executive of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners.

Rashid Begum is a survivor of “honour” based violence and attempted forced marriage who has dedicated both her professional and private life to ensuring that others at risk are protected. A former police officer and a qualified lawyer, Rashid now serves as a solicitor for the police in the UK.

This webinar was presented on July 15th, 2016 as part of the National Network to Prevent Forced Marriage Quarterly Webinar Series.

Author: Judith McFarlane, DrPH, RN; Angeles Nava, PhD; Heidi Gilroy, PhD; and John Maddoux, PhD

Publication: 2016

Researchers from Texas Women’s University conducted a 7-year study on 244 mothers who had reported intimate partner violence in the U.S. They based their survey questions on the 2011 Forced Marriage Initiative study, and found that 17% of respondents faced a forced marriage attempt, and among those respondents, 45% experienced the threat as a minor.

This webinar, originally presented as part of the Forced Marriage Initiative’s Quarterly Webinar Series, provides an overview of the current body of research highlighting the ways in which forced marriage intersects with child abuse, sexual assault and rape, domestic and family violence, stalking, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), and human trafficking. It discusses effective intervention strategies and best practice and prepares advocates to recognize and respond to forced marriage alongside other forms of harm.

This webinar was first presented as part of the Forced Marriage Initiative’s Quarterly Webinar Series on March 25th, 2016.

This webinar will cover the early development and design of the curriculum as well as the process of consultation with teachers and the NGO community in refining and finalizing the content. Progress with implementation and teacher reception will be shared as well as reflections on the impact of the newly passed Zero Tolerance for Barbaric Cultural Practices legislation on the curriculum.

This webinar was first presented as part of the Forced Marriage Initiative’s Quarterly Webinar Series on December 14th, 2015.

Author: Tahirih Justice Center
Publication: 2011
This two page summary of the 2011 Tahirih Justice Center survey on forced marriage in the United States provides an overview of the nature and scope of forced marriage in the U.S. Key findings illustrate that forced marriage is a serious problem in the United States with as many as 3000 cases of forced marriage identified over a two year period and service providers in 47 states having encountered cases.