Survivor returns to Newcastle to say thanks
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Domestic violence workers gathered at a seminar in Newcastle today to examine the issue of forced marriages. Special guest at the seminar was Jasvinder Sanghera, a woman who escaped a forced marriage and is now a vocal campaigner for this human rights issue.
Derby-born Jasvinder Sanghera was shown a photograph of the man she was to marry when she was 15 years old. Although she refused, her family continued to plan the wedding and locked her in her bedroom. Desperate to escape she ran away from home. Her parents and community disowned her and she ended up sleeping rough on the streets in Newcastle.
She returns to Newcastle today as a survivor of forced marriages, vociferous campaigner for victims of arranged marriages, author of best selling book Shame and award winner for her humanitarian work.
“Newcastle is very significant to me as this is where I ran away to 24 years ago. My parents had reported me missing and when the police officer found me, I was terrified he was going to send me back home to my parents. The police officer literally held my destiny in his hands. Fortunately for me, he believed me and said ‘Don’t’ worry – just phone your parents and tell them you’re safe’. He gave me the right help, the help I should have received when I first ran away.
Lesley Storey, Domestic Violence Co-ordinator for Safe Newcastle said “A clear distinction must be made between a forced marriage and an arranged marriage. The tradition of arranged marriages has operated successfully within many communities and cultures for a very long time. In arranged marriages, spouses freely commit to each other, there is no coercion.
“Forced marriage is where they are co-erced and pressured into marriage. This can have devastating effects. Safe Newcastle’s Domestic violence and abuse reduction strategy views forced marriages as domestic violence. We have many policies and procedures to help victims and the full backing of all the authorities, such as the police, the local authority and the refuges.
Forced marriage is primarily, but not exclusively, an issue of violence against females. Most cases involve young women and girls aged between 13 and 30, although there is evidence to suggest that as many as 15 percent victims are male.”
Catherine Fitt, Head of Childrens’ Services for Newcastle City Council said “Forced marriages is an issue that Local Safeguarding Board has developed procedural guidelines and policy to protect young people from being forced into marriage. This multi-agency approach means that we have fantastic support services available across the board, including education, housing, health and the police. We also fund Panah, the only refuge for BME communities in the North East.
“We firmly believe that all children and young people should be safe and able to develop to their full potential. Forced marriages do not allow this to happen.”
Nationally around 250 cases are of forced marriages are reported to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office each year. Many cases come to the attention of the police, social services, health education and voluntary organisations. Many others go unreported.
Jasvinder now works at the Karma Nirvana refuge for Asian women she helped set up in Derby. Many of the women who use the refuge are there escaping forced marriages. Thirty of them have been resetted in Newcastle where their families cannot find them.
During her visit to Newcastle, she met 30 women at the Panah refuge who all have experiences of forced marriages. They are still living in fear of their families who have shamed and disowned them. She told us “I am here today to raise the issue of forced marriages in Newcastle as these issues are happening in your city.”
Jasvinder added “One of the cases I am working on now with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is of a young Asian girl from Newcastle. She was taken out of school at 13 and taken to Pakistan. She was forced to marry at 15, have sex and became pregnant. Her family then tortured her to sponsor her husband’s application form so he could come to the UK, where he now lives as a British citizen.”
Lesley Storey further added “We are delighted that Jasvinder has come to Newcastle today. Hearing her talk about her experiences and her expertise in this field, is very valuable to us and will certainly help the people of Newcastle.”
