Forced Marriage

A forced marriage is where one or both people do not (or in cases of people with learning or physical disabilities, cannot) consent to the marriage and pressure or abuse is used.

The pressure put on people to marry against their will can be physical (including threats, actual physical violence and sexual violence) or emotional and psychological (for example, when someone is made to feel like they’re bringing shame on their family). Financial abuse (taking your wages or not giving you any money) can also be a factor.

Statistics January - December 2012

- The Forced Marriage Unit FMU gave advice or support related to a possible forced marriage in 1485 cases.
- Where the age was known, 13% involved victims below 15 years, 22% involved victims aged 16-17, 30% involved victims aged 18-21, 19% involved victims aged 22-25, 8% involved victims aged 26-30, 8% involved victims aged 31+. The oldest victim was 71 and the youngest was 2.
- 82% involved female victims and 18% involved male victims.
- The FMU handled cases involving 60 different countries, including Pakistan (47.1%), Bangladesh (11%), India (8%), Afghanistan (2.1%), Somalia (1.2%), Turkey (1.1%), Iraq (1%), Iran (0.9%), Nigeria (0.9%), Sri Lanka (0.9%), Egypt (0.6%), Saudi Arabia (0.6%), Yemen (0.6%), The Gambia (0.5%), Morocco (0.5%), and Ukraine (0.5%). The origin was unknown in 7.7% of cases.
- Within the UK the regional distribution was: East Anglia 2%, East Midlands 3%, London 21%, North East 1%, North West 8%, Northern Ireland 0.2%, Scotland 1%, South East 11%, South West 2%, West Midlands 16%, Wales 1%, Yorkshire and Humberside 7%. The region was unknown in 27% of cases.
- 114 cases involved victims with disabilities.
- 22 involved victims who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT).


This guide provides information for professionals protecting the victims of forced marriage. It also gives details of financial support for charities and awareness-raising publications. Information for people directly affected by forced marriage is also available.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) is raising awareness about forced marriage across the public sector. We provide expert advice to professionals, especially those confronted by forced marriage for the first time:

• we do a broad programme of public speaking and outreach work – email for more information
• if a personal visit isn’t possible, we can send you copies of our publications to help you give presentations yourselves.
• we can train your staff in how they can help victims of forced marriage
• we have started an awareness-raising programme for registrars
• we have produced multi-agency guidelines for the police, children and adult social care, health, housing and education professionals

UK - Forced Marriage Unit

https://www.gov.uk/forced-marriage#forced-marriage-unit
Website includes comprehensive information and videos.

CULTURE, CUSTOMS, OR TRADITIONS PREVENT FULL CEDAW IMPLEMENTATION

 "Many States parties to the CEDAW Convention assert that they cannot fully implement CEDAW because it is in conflict with Shari'ah, or that laws or practices cannot be changed because they are divine or based on the Qur'an."

"Musawah submits that full implementation of CEDAW is possible, as the principles of equality, fairness, and justice within CEDAW and Islam are fully compatible, and reform of laws and practices for the benefit of society and the public interest (maslahah) has always been part of the Muslim legal tradition."

Approaches to CEDAW and Muslim Family Laws & Practices

 CULTURE, CUSTOMS, OR TRADITIONS PREVENT FULL CEDAW IMPLEMENTATION

A type of argument frequently used by many States parties attempts to take the responsibility for implementation of the CEDAW Convention away from the government, by pointing to the role of culture, customs, traditions, and the patriarchal society in discriminating against women. The States argue that in the face of these powerful local customs and traditions, which often are intertwined with religion, change is difficult and takes time. In many cases, the people are not ready or women themselves are preventing the change from occurring. Governments also cite situations in which the law permits a practice, which is often justified because of tradition or culture, but the practice is rare.......

One of the main arguments evoked by governments for the inequality that exists between in men and women in their country was that change took time......Several countries underscored the challenges and time required to change these stereotypical notions of equality......

Several delegations assured the CEDAW Committee that progress, though slow in coming, was nonetheless taking place.......

CEDAW & MUSLIM FAMILY LAWS
In Search of Common Ground
By MUSAWAH - An initiative of Sisters in Islam, Malaysia

http://mariajesushernandezsanchez.com/

European Parliament Report on Human Rights Calls for Stand-Alone Goal on Gender Equality, Respect for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, and an End to Violence Against Women

[Brussels, 12 December 2013] On 11 December 2013, the European Parliament adopted its yearly report on the Annual Report on Human Rights in the World 2012 and the European Union’s policy on the matter. The EWL is pleased to see many recommendations in the report addressing women’s rights.

In particular, MEPs call for for a stand-alone goal for women’s rights and gender equality to be included in the post-2015 Millennium Development Goals, with a strong emphasis on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights. Very interestingly: on the day before, MEPs voted an alternative resolution to the Estrela report on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), recalling the subsidiarity principle when it comes to health policies, and therefore denying any debate on the issue as the resolution canceled the vote on the report.

Moreover, the report on Human Rights "calls for efforts to be stepped up to ensure the fullest possible achievement, prior to the expiry of the deadlines, of the Millennium Development Goals as regards gender equality, maternal health and access to adequate health systems, education and sexual and reproductive health rights, especially for the most vulnerable groups such as girls and young women, on the basis of a solid commitment on the part of governments to enhance accountability and monitoring mechanisms for existing human rights obligations, promote access to justice for all and ensure effective participation for all, including the most marginalised and disadvantaged, in development, decision making and implementation."

So, if the Estrela report has not been adopted this week, nevertheless the European Parliament sends a strong message about SRHR as human rights.

Finally, the report calls for an immediate end to all acts of violence, sexual assault and other forms of degrading treatment against female protesters and women‘s rights activists and for serious and impartial investigations into all such cases and full accountability for those responsible.

"OPPONENTS OF GIRLS' RIGHT TO EDUCATION VIOLATE ISLAM"

UNITED NATIONS: “Those who deny women and girls their right to education, violate Islam,” Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Masood Khan told a UN audience. He said the religion was for all men and women without discrimination.

He observed that the terrorist attack on Malala Yousufzai showed that “the forces of darkness” were afraid of the education that gave courage to girls to stand up for their rights.

“Those who do so (deny girls’ education) violently, violate the right to life and the right to education,” he said while addressing a Unesco-sponsored discussion on the “Importance of education and sports in preventing gender-based violence” held at the UN Headquarters on the sidelines of the current session of the Commission on the Status of Women.

The Director-General of Unesco, Irina Bokova, presided. Emphasising that education is enlightenment, emancipation, empowerment and development, Mr Khan said Pakistan had always given priority to education for girls and boys, for men and women.

“In education lies the redemption of a nation and the entire international community. The attack against Malala was as evil as it was showed that the forces of darkness are afraid of the education that gives courage to girls as young as Malala to stand for their rights against all odds,” the Pakistani envoy added. He said Pakistani women parliamentarians, with the support of all political parties, were creating new legislative and administrative space for women’s education.

Masood Haider - March 6, 2013

http://dawn.com/news/790599/

NEW NGO COMMITTEE ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN - LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

The Committee of NGOs from Latin America and the Caribbean on the Status of Women – CSW- was created along with those from 4 other regions of the world, with the goal of strengthening regional processes to influence gender equality and the women’s empowerment agenda. One of the principal activities of this new body is to organize forums for sharing and discussion that bring women’s concerns to governments’ attention during the regional meetings of the United Nations. 

The Committee represents non-governmental organizations of women from Latin America and the Caribbean in the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which was created in 1946, is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and is “the principal global policy-making body dedicated exclusively to gender equality and advancement of women.”

The Advisory Council of the Executive Committee of Organizations includes for the first period Mabel Bianco  of FEIM-Argentina (co-president), Lana Louise Finikin of Sistren Theatre Collective-Jamaica (co-president), Aidé García of CDD-México (vice-president), Delores Robinson of ASPIRE-Trinidad and Tobago (vice-president), Susana Chiarotti of CLADEM (treasurer), Rocío Rosero of REPEM LAC and ACDemocracia-Ecuador (secretary), Tarcila Rivera of Centro de Culturas Indígenas del Perú (member), and Dorotea Wilson of Red de Mujeres Afrolatinoamericanas, Afrocaribeñas y de la Diáspora and Colectiva Mujer (member).

The representatives of these organizations with consultative status in the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) are feminists with a long history of defending women’s rights in the United Nations Committee for the Decade for Women, now known as the Committee of NGOs on the Status of Women, and of which they will be constituent members. 

The foundational objectives of the CoNGO are to provide “a forum for information-sharing and profound discussions on issues and policies related to women under consideration by the UN and on other relevant studies on women, and with regard to specific programs in the context of Latin America and the Caribbean,” as well as “to work to incorporate a gender perspective in Latin America and the Caribbean through the UN system,” among other goals. 

The first official meeting of the Committee of NGOs took place on 16 October, in the city of Santo Domingo, on the occasion of the XII Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean.  From this initial meeting, it will go on working and will inform on the activities. People interested in contacting with it can do it through: 

FEIM: feim@feim.org.ar
REPEM LAC: repem@repem.org

CEDAW Committee adopted its 30th General recommendation

On the 18th of October the CEDAW Committee adopted its 30th General recommendation (GR)on women in conflict prevention, conflict and post-conflict situations. General recommendations are authoritative statements on the meaning and scope of the provisions in the CEDAW Convention with respect to the rights of women and the obligations of the State. It clarifies the application of CEDAW to emerging and priority situations affecting women.

Some key elements of this GR include:

-clearly identifies state obligation continuing in an unbroken continuum as it clarifies that States parties’ obligations continue to apply during conflict or states of emergency without discrimination between citizens and non-citizens within their territory or effective control, even if not situated within the territory of the State party.

- enlarges on the concept of due diligence in relating to human rights obligations of states by providing guidance to States parties on the implementation of their obligation of due diligence in respect of acts of private individuals or entities that impair the rights enshrined in the Convention, and makes suggestions as to how non-State actors can address women’s rights in conflict-affected areas.

- Covers all forms/categories of conflict and conflict prevention in cases of international and non-international armed conflicts,situations of foreign occupation, as well as other forms of occupation and the post-conflict phase, internal disturbances, protracted and low-intensity civil strife, political strife,ethnic and communal violence, states of emergency and suppression of mass uprisings, war against terrorism and organized crime, and other situations that may not necessarily be classified as armed conflict under international humanitarian law.

There are various other elements to this GR which we hope you will read in totality and use it to monitor and hold states accountable for violations to women's human rights during/post conflict situations.

http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/CEDAW/GComments/CEDAW.C.CG.30

Seven Points road map to Gender Sensitive Peace Building process in Syria

Geneva II is a Log frame for Peace , Democracy and Hope. 

Seven Points road map to Gender Sensitive Peace Building process in Syria

As the international negotiation efforts try to pave the way for Geneva II ,the Syrian Women Forum for Peace (SWFP) considers that Conveying Geneva II a window of hope for democracy and peace in Syria, if only women were involved in all of its stages. 

The SWFP approach to peace-building depends on the full involvement of all key players of the civil society, firstly women, we strongly believe that without the women's full support and participation, no peace agreement can succeed or implemented especially on the level of the local communities. 

We strongly believe that women’s voices shouldn’t only be heard because they are the victims of the war, but also, and most importantly because women are the most effective peace builders. As men take up arms, women hold communities together in times of war. This makes them stronger and better equipped to play a key role in securing real peace. 

Based on the international experience in conflict resolutions and peace building, The Syrian Women's Forum for Peace believe that the following seven points plan can be a good road map for gender sensitive peace building process in Syria . 

Point One: Conflict Resolution 

All efforts should be taken to ensure more systematic action for women’s participation and the accessibility of gender expertise to peace processes. 

Points Two: Post-Conflict Planning 

Efforts should be exerted to ensure better institutionalization of women’s participation (and apply gender analysis to) all post conflict planning processes so that women and girls specific needs and gender discrimination is addressed at every stage. 

Points Three: Post-Conflict Financing 

The international community should be ready to increase the financing for gender equality and women’s and girl’s empowerment in post conflict situations. 

Point four :Gender-Responsive Civilian Capacity 

In order to meet the women needs and skills to be part of the rebuilding of the state institutions to be gender sensitive ones, civilian capacity will include specialized skills. 

Point five :Women’s Representation in Post-Conflict Governance 

More technical assistance to conflict-resolution processes should made available to promote women’s participation as decision-makers in public institutions, ( use of temporary special measures such as positive action, preferential treatment and quota-based system) 

Point Six :Rule of Law 

Ensuing and working for rule of law during the stages of the conflict will systematically promote women's and girls' right to security and justice. 

Points Seven : Economic Recovery 

Efforts should be exerted to ensure that women’s equal involvement as participants and beneficiaries in local-development, employment-creation, frontline service delivery in post conflict situation. 

Syrian Women's Forum for Peace 

Damascus- Syria 

Tel: +963 11 27 72 334 

Mob: +963 9557 1 11 22 

Email: women_syrian@yahoo.com 

www.facebook.com/syrianwmp