Black Country Women’s Aid supports people experiencing or at risk of honour based violence and forced marriage in Sandwell, Dudley and Walsall.
We offer sensitive and holistic support that help victims of all ages to escape from violence, cope with trauma and rebuild their lives.
A forced marriage is one in which one or both of the people getting married do not, or cannot, consent to the marriage and coercion is involved. Coercion may include emotional force, physical force, threats of violence, or financial pressure. Forced marriage is a criminal offence in the UK.
There is a clear difference between forced marriage and arranged marriage. In arranged marriages, while families may take a lead, the choice of whether to accept the arrangement remains with the prospective spouses.
If families have to resort to violence or coercion to make someone marry, that person’s consent has not been given freely and it is therefore considered a forced marriage.
There is no single definition of honour-based violence, as it is a complex issue. It can be described as a collection of practices, which are used to control behaviour within families or other groups. This is done to protect perceived cultural and religious beliefs and or honour. Abuse and violence can happen when perpetrators think that a relative has “shamed” the family or community by breaking their “honour” code.
Most victims of honour-based violence are women and girls, although it can affect men and boys too. Often there is no single perpetrator and victims can be at risk from close or extended family or community members.
Honour-based violence is not justified by any culture or religion and is a human rights issue.
Does someone in your family (this could be your parents, a sibling, your husband or another family member):
If this is happening to you, you may be experiencing honour-based abuse, or you may be at risk of a forced marriage. It is important to remember that this is not your fault.
We know it can be difficult to talk about what is happening, but telling someone can really help.
If someone in your family is controlling you and you are scared they will harm you or abuse you, if you are frightened that you will be forced into a marriage, or if this has already happened please contact us. We can help you get the support that you need.
Our support workers are trained specialists who support people who are at risk of harm from intimate partners, ex-partners or family members. They will work with you one to one and support you both emotionally and practically to enable you to make choices and plans towards your long-term safety.
Although we often work closely with other organisations to ensure you are safe and get the best support, we are independent of all statutory agencies including the Police, Local Authority and Social Services.
We can support people of any age, both female and male, in Sandwell, Dudley and Walsall.
We will believe you. We will listen to you, support you and give you time and space to decide what you want to do. We won’t judge you because of what you say or force you to make a decision you do not want to make. We can help you with choices on how to move forward.
The things that we can help with include:
We will work with you in a confidential way. This means that we will not share any information with your family, the police or anyone else without your permission. The only time we will ever share any information without your permission is if we are worried about a child or vulnerable person’s safety.
We offer support to people who have been affected by or are at risk of honour-based violence and forced marriage living in Sandwell, Dudley and Walsall. If you live outside these areas please scroll down to ‘quick links’ to find details of other regional services.
Forced marriage is an extremely sensitive issue and there are many barriers that may stop someone who is at risk from seeking help. They may be frightened that their family or community will find out, and find it difficult to trust anyone. However you may notice warning signs that someone is at risk, especially if you are professional working with young people.
These may include: persistent absence from school or work; fear about holidays or failure to return from holidays; surveillance by siblings or family members or always being accompanied by them; decline in behaviour or performance; having education or career options limited by family; being accompanied whilst leaving work or school; having wages or income confiscated; early or forced marriage of siblings; the individual or their siblings running away from home or being reported missing; depression, isolation, self-harm or eating disorders; reports of abuse, harassment of breaches of the peace at the family home.
These are just some of the signs that someone you know could be at risk of a forced marriage. Please download our guide for professionals for more information.
If you are a professional who suspects someone is being, or has been forced into marriage:
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Regional leaflet on forced marriage produced by the West Midlands Domestic Abuse Consortium
Guidance for professionals on the warning signs of a forced marriage and how to act
Please find below the details of websites where you can find out more about honour-based violence and forced marriage, and local services that you might need, including support agencies if you live in Birmingham, Wolverhampton or Coventry.