2013

Anna Patty, “Untying the knots that bind” The Sydney Morning Herald (December 16, 2013). This article profiles Eman Sharobeem, a forced marriage survivor who is now a victim advocate and service manager for the Immigrant Women’s Health Service in Fairfield, Australia. Among other initiatives, Eman is pushing for the government to establish a hotline for women threatened with forced marriage. Read here.

Emily Dugan, “Woman with IQ of 49 ‘was targeted for sham marriage’,” The Independent (December 3, 2013). This article discusses the case of a 19 year old female victim of forced marriage in the UK.  Recently, UK courts declared the marriage invalid after it was ruled that, due to the individual’s learning disabilities, she was targeted to take part in a forced marriage for visa purposes. Read here.

Plan International, “New UN resolution significant step forward to ending child marriage,” Thompson Reuters Foundation (November 22, 2013). On November 21, 2013 the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to end child, early and forced marriage. The new resolution calls for a panel discussion to be held next year in New York focusing on the issue of child, early and forced marriage worldwide, and the post-2015 development agenda. Read here.

Stephen Castle and Katrin Bennhold “Rescued London Women Say They Were Held 30 Years,” The New York Times (Nov 21, 2013). With the assistance of Freedom Charity, an NGO in the UK which specializes in helping victims of forced marriage, the London police rescued three women held captive for 30 years in a home in the Lambeth district in South London. The women are believed to be forced marriage victims and at least one woman appears to have gone through a religious ceremony in which she was married to the man in the house. Read Here.

“Schoolgirls in Finland forced abroad for arranged marriages,” Yle Uutiset (Nov 20, 2013). This article outlines the current state of Finnish law on the issue of forced marriage and why NGOs in Finland are calling for specific legislation to criminalize the offense. Read here.

“Forced marriage could be made a crime in Scotland,” The Scotsman (Nov 18, 2013). This article discusses the decision of the Justice Committee in Scotland to take up the issue of forced marriage after an attempt by Westminster to legislate criminalization of the offense. Read Here.

Sam Webb, “Judge admits he is powerless to quash marriage of British Muslim girl who was taken to Pakistan and forced to wed at gunpoint aged 14,” Daily Mail (November 5, 2013). This article discusses the ruling in the case of a 14 year old British citizen who was forced to marry in Pakistan. Despite the circumstances, the judge was unable to declare the marriage void at inception and instead ruled that the girl must seek a petition for nullity.  Read here.

Jon Sharman, “Authorities increase observation of children going missing from care,” Kingston Guardian (October 21st, 2013). This article discusses efforts in the UK to keep track of missing children at risk of forced marriage and female genital mutilation.  In Kingston, the Missing Children Review Panel now meets every six weeks to monitor performance and identify problem areas. The article also notes that schools and hospitals have become increasingly aware of the issue of forced marriage and what to look for. Read here.

Lucy Adams, “Lawyer warns of danger in changes on forced marriage,” The Herald (October 20, 2013). This article presents an interview with a leading expert in Scotland who argues that criminalization of forced marriage will result in increased under-reporting as individuals will be dissuaded from seeking an order if the order itself will criminalize members of their family. Read here.

Lucy Adams, “I was forced into marrying my relative…and there was nowhere to go, no way out,” The Herald (October 19, 2013). This article discusses the case of a Scottish women forced to marry in Pakistan and her journey towards recovery after arriving back in Scotland. Read here.

Jennifer Burn, “Putting an end to forced marriage in Australia,” The Conversation (October 19, 2013). This article outlines the current response to forced marriage in Australia and provides recommendations for next steps, including removing the age limit on civil protection orders and increasing the availability of holistic social services for forced marriage survivors. Read here.

Jerry Sullivan, “The Pakistani refuge rescuing UK girls from forced marriage,” BBC News (October 4, 2013). Struggle for Change (Sach) is a refuge aid organization based in Islamabad, Pakistan which provides services to forced marriage survivors who have escaped and wish to return home to the UK and other locations around the world.  This article highlights their work and their collaboration with local authorities in Pakistan to assist survivors of forced marriage. Read here.

Katrin Bennhold, “A Muslim Prosecutor in Britain, Fighting Forced Marriages and Honor Crimes,” The New York Times (September 27, 2013). Nazir Afzal, a chief crown prosecutor in Britain, has become London’s go-to lawyer for cases involving forced marriage and violence against women in Britain.  In this article he discusses the evolution of the UK response to forced marriage and his role in engaging minority communities to address the issue. Read here.

Debra Black, “John Baird to bring UN campaign against forced marriage home,” The Star (September 26, 2013). Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird says he plans to meet with Minister of Justice Peter MacKay and the minister responsible for status of women, Dr. Kellie Leitch, to discuss a recent report on forced marriage in Canada from the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALCO) and what can be done to address the issue. Read here.

Debra Black, “Forced marriages a hidden problem in Canada,” The Star (September 20, 2013). This article discusses a new study conducted by the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALCO), which found 219 reported cases of forced marriage over just 3 years, cutting across lines of culture and nationality. Read here.

André Leslie and Samantha Early, “Forced Marriage ‘is not culture, it’s abuse,” DW (September 9, 2013). An interview with the founder of Karma Nirvana about the state of the UK response to forced marriage. Read here.

“Teenagers put on airport watchlists to stop arranged marriages,” News.com.AU (August 31, 2013). Australian Women’s Minister Pru Goward and Dr. Eman Sharobeem, Director of the Immigrant Women’s Health Service present the current state of the Australian response to the issue of forced marriage and discuss the case of a teenager facing a forced marriage who was placed on an airport watchlist. Read more.

Debbie Thomas, “My Parents Chose My Husband,” Slate (August 16, 2013). Debbi Thomas, an American woman of Indian origin, writes candidly about her experience with her own arranged marriage and the often blurry distinction between forced marriage and arranged marriage and what it means to “choose” a spouse while navigating within a traditional family and community. Read here.

“Forced marriages: School holidays prompt warning,” BBC News (August 10, 2013). Forced marriage campaigner Sameem Ali is interviewed in this BBC article about the high risk of forced marriages during the school summer holidays in the UK. Read here

Helen Pidd, “Forced marriage unit deals with 114 cases involving mental disability,” The Guardian UK (August 9, 2013). A UK judge’s ruling not to annul an arranged marriage between a mentally disabled Sikh man and an Indian woman has drawn strong criticism from campaigners against forced marriage, who claim parents in certain communities in Britain often marry off their disabled children in the hope that their spouses will act as care givers. Read here.

Steve Stout, “Peoria detective stirs awareness of ‘honor’ violence against women,” CBS News 5, Arizona (August 7, 2013). Detective Chris Boughey is working closely with the AHA Foundation to raise awareness about forced marriage and honor killings in Arizona. Read here.

Chris Bartlett, “Australian girls among millions forced to become child brides,” News Limited Network (July 22, 2013).  This article discusses forced and early marriages in Australia and examines cases of girls being brought from abroad on Australian visas for the purposes of forced marriage. Read here.

“Pakistani woman saved from arranged marriage with stalker,” Gazetta del Sud (July 16, 2013). This article discusses the case of a Pakistani woman in Italy whose family flew to Pakistan to return her dowry money in order to assist her in leaving an abusive fiancé.  A Italian judge also issued a restraining order against the fiancé for aggravated stalking. Read here.

“Lack of cultural understanding makes forced marriage victims wary of social services, study finds,” Royal Holloway University of London (July 11, 2013). Researchers at Royal Holloway University in London analyzed the experiences of men and women in forced marriages from Indian and Pakistani communities. Their findings suggest that individuals facing forced marriages often do not come forward because they fear a lack of cultural understanding from service providers. Read here.

Julie Ryland, “High season for forced marriages,” The Norway Post (July 1, 2013). This article outlines the number of incidences of forced marriage in Norway from 2004-2013, as well as the difficulty in distinguishing forced marriage from arranged marriage, and of assisting individuals who are forced to travel abroad. Read here.

“Judge concerned over exemptions to marriage age restrictions,” RTE News Ireland, (June 18, 2013). A judge in Ireland was prompted to make public statements about revisiting the exemptions related to legal age limits for marriage in light of arranged and forced marriages.  The case that brought this issue to the judges’ attention was that of a girl who had been taken out of the country and forced to marry an Egyptian man ten years her senior, despite a court order restraining her removal from Ireland. Read here.

MJ Angel, “Life in a forced marriage,” The Sydney Morning Herald (June 17, 2013). Article out of Australia outlines one woman’s story in order to highlight the differences between forced marriage and arranged marriage.  Read here.

“Government takes action against forced marriage,” Government of Netherlands Press Release (June 14, 2013). The government of the Netherlands is teaming up with a forced marriage organization to provide training to professionals who work at the government’s domestic violence advice and support centers.  In addition, the government is launching a website dedicated to forced marriage, which will offer advice and links to a special number to call if you or someone you know is being forced into marriage.  Read here.

“Early, forced marriages haunt Jordan’s Syrian refugees,” The International Herald Tribune (June 12, 2013) – As the conflict in Syria continues, some refugees in Jordan are offering their daughters for early marriage in the hope of securing them protection as they face growing economic pressure. Read here.

Peter Cluskey, “Dutch government to introduce tough legislation on forced marriage,” The Irish Times (June 11, 2013). Although forced marriage is already illegal in the Netherlands, new legislation is being introduced to close a loophole which allows parents to remove their child’s name from the town hall registry, without giving a reason, if their child moves abroad. Read here.

Shuki Byrne, “Report shows 14 million girls forced into marriage every year,” Sunday World (Ireland) (June 3, 2013). This article discusses overall statistics on forced marriage and outlines evidence of two forced marriage cases in Ireland in past 12 months. Read here.

“Uncle accused of ordering ‘honour killing’ of B.C. woman arranged marriage to older man, court hears,” National Post (Canada) (May 29, 2013). India seeks the extradition of two people allegedly connected to the murder of Jaswinder (“Jassi”) Kuar Sidhu, who was killed in India in 2000 for marrying a man not of her family’s choosing.  Read here.

Claire Duffin, “16-year-old ‘forced to marry’ despite protection order,” The Telegraph UK (May 28, 2013). Discusses the history of forced marriage protection orders in the U.K., in light of a case in which a 16-year-old was forced to marry, despite a previous court order designed to protect her from forced marriage. Read here.

Alia Papageorgiou, “A pre-emptive study into forced marriage,” News Europe (May 18, 2013). Belgium conducted a study which cited 17 forced marriages between 2007 and 2010, and although the number of reported cases appears low, Joelle Milquet, Vice Prime Minister and Interior Minister of Belgium, is urging local authorities to stay alert to the issue.  Read here.

Peter Cluskey, “Dutch police criticised for allegedly helping two underage Muslims to marry,” The Irish Times (May 15, 2013). Police in Amsterdam are under fire for allegedly helping two underage Muslims marry in the Netherlands, so that the bride could avoid being sent to her family’s native Pakistan for a traditional arranged marriage to her cousin. Read here.

Clarissa Ward, “Syrian refugees sell daughters in bid to survive” CBS News (May 14, 2013). This report from the CBS Evening News follows the story of a woman working in Jordan to broker marriages for families selling their daughters in order to survive.  Watch here.

Daniel Fogarty, “Vic teens forced into marriage: inquiry,” The Daily Telegraph [Australia] (May 9, 2013). A parliamentary inquiry in Australia heard at least three examples of forced marriage in their country.  Read here.

“Queen’s Speech: Anti-social behaviour changes proposed,” BBC News (May 8, 2013). In the Queen’s speech on the state of the parliament, she cited that forced marriage will become a criminal offense under the proposed Anti-Social Behavior Bill.  Read here.

“Swedish court reduces sentence for honor-killer teen,” United Press International (May 7, 2013). A teenager previously sentenced to eight years in prison for the honor killing of his sister after she fled a forced marriage in Iraq and returned to Sweden had his sentence reduced by a Swedish Appeals Court.  Read here.

Eleanor J. Bader, “Arranged Marriage Is a US Issue,” Truthout (April 20, 2013). Discusses stories of forced marriage and arranged marriage in the US, citing the Tahirih Justice Center’s 2011 Forced Marriage Survey.  Read here.

Eleanor Garnier, “Forced marriage victims in Leicester not going to police,” BBC (April 17, 2013). A police conference on forced marriage reveals that not enough victims are reporting their experiences to the police.  Read here.

“Forced Marriage,” HSC Legal Studies News Watch (April 15, 2013). The Australian Institute of Criminology released a paper called “Forced and servile marriage in the context of human trafficking” highlighting trends in Australia.  Read here.

Aida Alami, “Morocco Slow to Enforce Laws on Women’s Rights,” The New York Times (April 10, 2013).  Despite the high profile suicide case of Amina Filali, the rape-marriage law still exists in Morocco, forcing girls to marry their rapists in order to preserve their honor.  Read here.

 “Islam allows marriage by choice: Hadi,” Global Post (April 10, 2013). The principal of a Madrassa school in Pakistan issued a statement to the press explaining that Islam does not allow forced marriages, and instead recognizes the importance of consent in marriages.  Read here.

“Mental capacity and forced marriage: a social worker’s story” Community Care (April 2, 2013). A social worker recounts her experience working with a disabled woman whose family she suspected of trying to arrange a forced marriage.  She suggests that social workers should receive specific training on the issue of forced marriage.  Read here.

Letizia Orlandi, “A refuge for brides from forced marriages,” West-Info (April 2, 2013). Austria pledges 360,000 euros to build new centers to help victims of forced marriage.  Read here.

Ihosvani Rodriguez, “Sahar Thabit, Florida Mom, Burned Daughter Over Arranged Marriage,” The Huffington Post (March 20, 2013). A Florida mom burned her daughter’s arm in three places after she refused to marry her cousin.  School officials reported the incident to the police, and the mother has been arrested on charges of child abuse.  Read here.

Letizia Orlandi, “France moves to tackle forced marriage,” West-Info (March 12, 2013). Recent figures show that around 70,000 young women are still potentially threatened by forced marriage, prompting France to launch a campaign against force marriage. A proposed law would make forced marriage equal to kidnapping and would allow cases to be heard in France’s courts.  Read here.