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  • Meet the People

What is a forced marriage?

A forced marriage is a marriage conducted without the valid consent of both people, where pressure or abuse is used.

An arranged marriage is not the same as a forced marriage. In an arranged marriage, the families take a leading role in choosing the marriage partner, but the choice of whether to enter the marriage is left to both people.

A marriage must be entered into with the full and free consent of both people. Everyone involved should feel that they have a choice.

The pressure put on people to marry against their will can be physical or emotional.

In some cases, people may be taken abroad without knowing that they are to be married. When they arrive in the country, their passports may be taken by their family to try to stop them from returning home.

In 2009, 1682 cases of forced marriage were reported to the Forced Marriage Unit. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

What are our aims?

• raise awareness on the issues of violent crimes against children and forced marriages throughout
  the UK.


• engage with young people and empower them, offering advice, information, and guidance


• support victims of violent crimes against children with a range of intervention and support programmes


• identify young people at risk and support them


• work in partnership with specialist agencies and organisations, communities and families

How we will achieve these aims

We will:

• aim to distribute the book "But It's Not Fair" to every school in the UK.


• establish a Schools Awareness Programme offering workshops and educational resources across all schools in the UK


• recruit and train a team of Community Volunteers in every region in the UK


• create greater awareness through case study talks with victims of child violence or abuse


• offer help to potential victims and friends of victims through the only 24-7 help-line in the UK.