A forced marriage is a marriage conducted without a valid consent of one or both parties, and some form of duress is involved. This could be emotional pressure - for example, a parent (s) may insist that rejection of this marriage partner would bring shame to the family; or arrangements for the marriage might be made (perhaps abroad) without the intended bride  being told of the purpose of the trip.

Did you know that.....

- 86% of forced marriage victims are women

- The majority of cases of forced marriages cases encountered in the UK involve South Asian families

- 97% of those seeking help and advice regarding forced marriages were identified as Asians

- 65% of forced marriages cases in the UK involve the Pakistani community

- 25% of forced marriage cases in the UK involve the Bangladeshi community

- 7% of forced marriage cases in the UK involve the Indian community

We provide advice & guidance to women as well as awareness raising and preventative work on forced marriages. Furthermore, we provide training to statutory and voluntary organisations designed to raise awareness and enable them to provide an efficient and appropriate service to their client base and service users. Workshop and training packages also include topics such as domestic violence, honour based violence, cultural awareness and religious awareness particularly on the Muslim community. Interested parties should contact us on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

We have recently launched a website to raise awareness of forced marriages - www.againstforcedmarriages.org The website’s aim is to support minority ethnic women on the issue of forced marriages. Whether they are in a forced marriage themselves, are worried that they or a friend might be at risk, or whether a practitioner just wants to find out more about the issue, they will find all the information needed on this website.

Simultaneously, JAN Trust is launching its own free and confidential helpline (0800 141 2994) to support victims who are in fear of going into a forced marriage or are already in one. The helpline provides victims with all the information they need on forced marriages, discuss the options available to them and support them at every step of the way. Helpline staff provide culturally sensitive advice in Urdu, Punjabi and English. The helpline also caters to people who are worried about friends or relatives, as well as teachers or professionals working with actual or potential victims of forced marriages.