We over here at the JAN Trust are launching an online fundraising campaign in order raise money for our Against Forced Marriages project. Forced marriages affect some of the most vulnerable people in the UK from very marginalised and non-mainstream communities, and often these individuals find it very difficult to seek help. Statistics from the Forced Marriage …
Victim Blaming
Blaming the victim is a practice that is exhibited within society as a means of justifying racism, sexism and other forms of social injustices. Victim blaming has today become more noticeable in crimes of a sexual nature such as rape and assault, particularly when the victims of these crimes are adult women. It has been …
The ‘Spoon Trick’ – how sound is the latest forced marriage advice?
The British government recently warned local authorities and front line staff – including those at airports – to be aware of the increased risk of forced marriage during the summer holidays. Summer holidays are a prime time for British girls to be taken abroad to be forced into marriage and hundreds of suspected victims disappear …
Hornsey School for Girls Action Day
On Friday 28th June we again visited the Hornsey School for Girls; we were invited to support the launch of their Early & Forced Marriage Launch Event, organised by Year 10 students as part of their GCSE coursework. We had worked with the students before; we delivered our outreach workshops when they were starting their …
Sexual violence in India: Is Bollywood to blame?
The world of Bollywood in India is extremely influential; hundreds of films are produced by Bollywood every year and over the course of its history it has inspired generations of film fans and filled countless young people with dreams. On the 16th December last year, a twenty-three year old woman, who was later identified as Jyoti …
A promise is a promise: Time for action to END violence against women
On International Women’s Day, women around the world join together in celebration of the strength of women. Since 1908 this has been a day to celebrate the achievements of women around the world without regard to their national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political differences; with this year the theme focusing on ending violence against …
Rape: The Silent Shame of the 21st century
The trial of five men charged with the gang rape and murder of a medical student in India has got under way this week. The gang rape of the 23-year-old woman and the beating of her male friend on a moving bus in New Delhi have produced global debates about women’s rights and the subject of rape and sexual …
Islamophobic Hate Crimes in Britain
Through our work at JAN Trust we have dealt with many Muslim women over the twenty years who have suffered from Islamophobia. It has included verbal and physical abuse, their children being bullied and damage to their property. The portrayal of Muslims and Islam in wide parts of the media is likely to be a contributing factor. An increasing awareness …
Violence against Women and Cuts to Welfare
“Violence against women continues to persist as one of the most heinous, systematic and prevalent human rights abuses in the world. It is a threat to all women, and an obstacle to all our efforts for development, peace, and gender equality in all societies.” Ban Ki moon, United Nations Secretary General Around one in three women …
Inspiration from Malala
“I don’t mind if I have to sit on the floor at school. All I want is education.” Thursday 11th October 2012 marked the first International Day of the Girl. There was no way a day like this could pass without mentioning 14 year old Malala. Two days prior Malala woke a generation to the inescapable …