Research Project

Forced Marriage and Honour based Violence.

A Trafford Perspective.

Anesha PandorFarah Khan

The EMY Project

• The Empowering Muslim Youth Project• Established to engage, enable and empower youth and

communities from Muslim and non Muslim faiths.• Offering opportunities for Muslim and non Muslim youth

to engage in Activities and Initiatives.• Taking into account faith and cultural needs and

obligations.• Provisions for male and female youth.

• Farah Khan – Culture Clicks Co-ordinator• All Female groups• Muslim and Non Muslim Participants• Confidence Building• Increasing self esteem• Raising aspirations• Empowering and enabling• Increasing civic participation

The EMY Project:Culture Clicks - Female group

• Anesha Pandor – Researcher• Trafford related research Projects:• Development of a Mediation service• Hate crime

The EMY Project:Culture Clicks - Female group

Research Project

Aim/Objectives:

• The range of communities that forced marriages occurs in.• Current existing support available in the borough of Trafford• Risk factors within vulnerable groups, • Barriers for individuals in reporting cases and barriers for

accessing support and services.• Preventative/protective factors • Recommendations

Nazir Afzal OBE.• Chief prosecutor North West.

Crown Prosecution services

Methodology:

• Background literature review• Stakeholder interviews- telephone and face to face

interviews (Statutory and voluntary organisations)• Focus groups- 78 participants• Online survey- 220 responses

Research Project

Forced Marriage Definition

• A forced marriage “is a marriage conducted without the valid consent of both parties where duress is a factor.”

• There is a difference between a forced marriage and an arranged marriage.

Honour Based Violence

• The CPS and police definition of Honour Based Violence:

‘A crime or incident which has or may have been committed to protect or defend the honour of the family and or community’

Religious background of respondents

Ethnicity of Respondents

1. Communities that Forced Marriages Occurs in

• Forced marriages are seen as occurring across a wide range of communities and cultures.

• Research findings of top three communities affected:

1. Asian 74.6%

2. Middle Eastern 52.4%

3. Somali 49.2%

Communities that Forced Marriages Occurs in

• Forced marriages are seen as being associated to specific faith groups.

• 46.5% associated with faith• 37.4% associated with no faith• 17.6% unsure

Recurring Themes

“ Yes we think it is common, most people know but stay quiet. They cover and say it was an arranged marriage not forced; it never crosses our mind that they could have been pressured into the marriage. “

“There is an issue but we are not aware of it as people don’t talk about it.”

“People don’t talk about it, its taboo .....”

2. Trafford Services

Two support services specifically located in Trafford.

•Trafford Victim Support, •Trafford Women’s Aid.

Additional services within Greater Manchester :

•Independent Choices•Manchester Women’s Aid•Saheli•Pakistani Resource Centre

Stakeholders

Services being provided:

– Emergency Accommodation– Referral and signposting– Outreach work– IDVA Service– Advice and Support

Challenges for services

• Lack of funding and resources• Multi - agency working• Difficulties in prosecution• Risk of individual personal safety when working with

communities • Lack of awareness and education

Challenges

• Working with vulnerable children and adults• Victim retraction• Difficulties in identifying honour based violence cases • Language barriers

3.Risk Factors within Vulnerable Groups

• Gender – Specifically young women• Family- traditions and cultures • Strengthening family ties• Protecting family honour• Poverty, • Disability.

4.Barriers to Reporting

• Specific groups – disability, NRPF etc.• Fear of repercussions – Shame, Dishonour, Ostracised• Legal implications- Criminalization• Lack of awareness • Services- Culturally sensitive, Confidentiality, Training.

Online Survey

• 60.5% highlighted Fear of speaking out/dishonouring family as the main barrier in reporting.

• 51.7 % highlighted a combination of all the options given as a barrier.

• Isolation overseas.• lack of specialist services. • language barriers .• lack of information.

Recurring Themes

Trust –

“I wouldn’t ring anyone official I think I would be scared to talk to the police or someone like that. I might talk to a teacher or a close family member someone who I thought I could trust.”

“The biggest worry I would have is the risk of getting turned away by the police or any other person who I seek advice/help from.”

Recurring Themes

Lack of cultural awareness/understanding

“Police- first thing Police go to is parents.”

“Police can be like a bull in a china shop.”

“They need to be aware of Asian community, downplay- not make a scene,.”

“Not putting everyone in the same basket, all mixed, Gujarati, Sikh.”

5.Preventative/Protective Factors

• Community engagement- Establishing trust. • Training and awareness for professionals. • Culturally sensitive support.• Raising awareness and education in schools.• Empowering young people. • Engaging religious leaders. • Establishing safe places for workshops and drop in

services.

5.Preventative/Protective factors-Online Survey

The top three factors government should focus on to help victims:

• 60.7% - raise public awareness and campaigns.• 55.1% - more support services for victims. • 40.4% - prevention awareness in schools.

Should there be more awareness around this issue?

• 88.4% - Yes

Encouraging victims to come forward.

Awareness – Focus groups

Majority of participants ( 97.5%) from focus groups were unaware of:

• Any specialist support services and help lines.

• What to do if they were in this situation .

Forced marriage was seen as an issue but a “taboo” subject

Awareness – Online

• 34.3% Would NOT know who to contact • 25.8% Were unsure

Participants preferences differed in their ways of seeking support

• 62.4% - Would seek support and help from trusted friends and family,

• 58.4% - Internet,• 56.2% - Police, • 52.8% - telephone help lines

Findings

• Lack of public awareness and education in schools• Lack of a clear and co-ordinated localised strategy • Training and skills gap• Lack of Routine Enquiry• Need long-term Support Provision

• Lack of local data sources, recording and monitoring

Conclusion

Lack of :

• Forced marriage & Honour based violence awareness.• Education within schools/colleges.• Professional training. • Recorded information.• Localised strategy : Awareness, training, monitoring, • Community engagement- Trust• Funding and resources for specialist services

Recommendations

Training

• Trafford multi-agency strategy• Integrate FM and HBV Training within pre existing safeguarding

training.• Staff to include FM and HBV as a routine enquiry to identified

groups.• Develop training for frontline staff.

Recommendations

Services

• Develop long term support provision • Provide resources to sustain existing services• Using existing best practices to develop future

specialist services to address gaps identified.• Establish safe spaces for women to access

services and support

Recommendations

• Establish a consistent and integrated recording and monitoring system.

• Improve data collection and recording

Recommendations

Improving Prevention and raising awareness :

• Schools and colleges, social media, public campaigns,• Community engagement- religious leaders • Develop a single point of contact helpline for Trafford

services.

Services

Training

Awareness•Confidential•Sustainable•Culturally sensitive•Face to face•Helpline•online support•After care support•Counselling

•Identification•Risk•Referrals•Monitoring•Embed within existing training

•Education•Community engagement•Public campaigns•Work with Religious leaders.

3 Step Approach

Multi Agency strategy

Thank you

Any Questions?

Contact details

Gir AlamEMY Project Manager07507254777theemyproject@yahoo.co.uk

Farah Khantheemyproject@yahoo.co.ukcultureclicks@yahoo.co.uk07912507950

Anesha Pandorcultureclicks@yahoo.co.uk