No to Forced Marriage!
12 Feb 2016 • General news
The Forced Marriage Conference
Saturday 19th March 2016.
The conference will be hosted by Ark St Alban’s Academy with the participation of the Forced Marriage Unit (FMU), West Midlands Police, Muslim Women’s Network-UK (MWN-UK) and many other partners.
Government guidelines state, ‘A forced marriage is a marriage in which one or both spouses do not consent to the marriage but are coerced into it... In the cases of some vulnerable adults who lack the capacity to consent, coercion is not required for a marriage to be forced.’ The FMU gave advice or support related to a possible forced marriage in 1267 cases in 2014.
Ark St Alban’s Academy, with its partners, is committed to taking action to end this practice and work towards a more positive future for those at risk of being forced into marriage. The conference will raise awareness of Forced Marriage, its practice and the support available to victims and potential victims. We aim to galvanise support in furthering local and national efforts that will end the practice of forced marriage. Together we will establish Birmingham as a leading hub to model best practice.
The conference will bring together young people, community members, activists and faith leaders committed to the rights and empowerment of people to make their own choices. Workshops and guest speakers will afford participants the opportunity to pledge commitments to promote freedom of choice.
We would be honoured if you could join us on Saturday 19th March 2016.
Please register your interest using the following form: https://goo.gl/A9VncX.
Please begin your support on social media by using the hashtags @ArkStAlbans #BhamEndsForcedMarriage and @FMUnit.
If you have any queries please contact Jayne Hooper, at jayne.hooper@stalbansacademy.org.