LINKS TO ORGANISATIONS & RESOURCES
'Karma Nirvana is an award-winning National charity supporting victims of honour-based abuse and forced marriage. Honour crimes are not determined by age, faith, gender or sexuality, we support and work with all victims.We run a national helpline offering direct support and guidance to victims and professionals. Karma Nirvana provides training to the Police, NHS and Social Services. We act as expert witnesses in court, speak out in schools and attend awareness raising events nationally and internationally. In addition, our team lobby government and after ten years of campaigning, forced marriage became a criminal offence in 2014.'
Karma Nirvana: Child Marriage Report 2020
Karma Nirvana have produced a report on child marriage. This report covers:
- Child Marriage – An England and Wales perspective
- What is Child Marriage?
- How does Child Marriage take place in England and Wales?
- The hidden problem and impact of Child Marriage
- How current law and policy is failing to protect children
- Comparisons to other laws designed to protect and safeguard children
- International commitments
- Child Marriage cases across the UK — Police Force
- Our proposal to end Child Marriage
'IKWRO was founded (as the Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation) in 2002 by our Executive Director, Diana Nammi. Since our foundation, as testament to the success of our work and in response to the need for culturally specific support, advocacy and counselling for women from the Middle East and Afghanistan, our services have been extended to several vulnerable communities in the United Kingdom.'
Safeguard Futures: Ban Child Marriage
'Child marriage is “any formal marriage or informal union between a child under the age of 18 and an adult or another child” (UNICEF). Parliament has recognised, by raising the minimum age for leaving education or training to eighteen, that childhood should be safeguarded as a time for learning and personal development.' (IKWRO).
'Child marriage is a hidden form of child abuse, so it is important to look to a range of sources for prevalence. In 2018 a third of cases (33%, 574) dealt with by the UK’s Forced Marriage Unit involved children aged 17 and under.' (IKWRO).
IKWRO has a vast selection of accessible resources in varying formats to assist your understanding of the urgent need to end child marriage in the UK.