Why we should focus on kindness beyond this week. Embed from Getty Images The theme for Mental Health Awareness Week 2020 is kindness. Kindness is a concept that everyone knows, but it is often hard to remember to be kind and why it is important to do so. This has been particularly important during the …
Hope for the Hopeless: The Lasting Effects of Forced Marriage
Stripped of hope and choice the lasting impact of forced marriages shreds the mind and body of its victims, creating a gradient effect onto their offspring. Embed from Getty Images Sexually transmitted diseases, violence (both physical and sexual), psychological torment, loss of freedom, and fear along with so many other disastrous effects encompass just some …
Should marriage age be raised to 18 to prevent forced marriages?
As it stands, the minimum age to enter into a marriage in England and Wales is sixteen years old with the consent of a parent or guardian. Campaigners are now calling for a change to this law, with UNICEF stating that marriage before the age of 18 is a fundamental violation of human rights. MPs are currently discussing …
In a promising step to support forced marriage victims, UK government no longer requires them to pay for rescue
Perpetrators of forced marriages will now be required to bear the financial cost associated with the victims return Embed from Getty Images At the beginning of January , an investigation by The Times revealed that young British women who are forced into marriages abroad are often charged for their return to the UK when assisted …
A call to break away from forced marriage
“I will not be a victim for my parents’ honour and reputation. I will not live in shame. I am now free.” The right to choose who you marry, when you marry and if you marry is a fundamental human right which needs to be safeguarded under all circumstances. Forcing someone to marry is illegal in …
Domestic Violence: “Why does she not just leave him?”
Have you ever wondered “why doesn’t she leave him?” Domestic violence is indiscriminate and can affect anyone of any race and class. The Crime Survey of England and Wales (CSEW) states 1.2 million women aged 15-59 have experienced domestic violence in the year ending of March 2017, as well as 713,000 men in that same …
The Difficulty of Eradicating Forced Marriages
New figures released by the NSPCC reveal that there has been a 12% increase in counselling sessions about forced marriage in the previous year. Summer is often a high-risk period for potential victims of forced marriage, as many are lured away on “holidays” only to be married off abroad against their will. However, a shocking 11% of …
On The Importance of Women
Women comprise about half of the world’s population. This half of the world is hugely important in community development, and in the local and global economy. Yet, society is not doing what needs to be done to empower women and unlock their full potential. At JAN Trust we do our best to empower, educate and …
Tackling forced marriage
In 2014, the Government introduced legislation that criminalised forced marriage under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. The law stipulates that anyone ‘forcing someone to marry can result in a sentence of up to 7 years in prison’ and that ‘disobeying a Forced Marriage Protection Order can result in a sentence of up to …
Traumas of Forced Marriage
‘Muslim model, 24, is found hanged after fearing she was going to be forced into arranged marriage by her parents’ ‘The Hasidic woman … [who] killed herself suffered years of depression following her forced marriage to a first cousin’ These are just a few of the headlines from the media last month. The message is …