Jasvinder Sanghera, founder of the Leeds-based Karma Nirvana charity, who escaped her own forced marriage aged just 16, was at Allerton Grange School to launch the drive. It is part of her ongoing work to encourage the Government, schools, police and other agencies to focus on the issue as a child protection matter first and foremost.
Miss Sanghera told the YEP: “Victims always start their journey in school so their engagement is at the heart of prevention. There are real concerns about the lack of school engagement – and yet the majority of our victims are in British classrooms.
“We have highlighted to Government very worrying concerns about this and the real issues of missing children (absences) as being a link to a victim of forced marriage.” The charity has written to schools across West Yorkshire and is hoping to engage with teaching unions.
Tags: forced marriage, forced marriage unit, halo project, honour based violence, rape
