Forced Marriage Consultation paper

Government launches Forced Marriage consultation (12 December 2011)

Over the next 12 weeks the Home Office is seeking views on whether making forcing someone to marry should be a criminal offence in England and Wales, or whether current arrangements provide adequate protection. They are also interested in views on what more could be done to prevent forced marriage from happening. There are clear arguments both for and against making forced marriage a criminal offence. 

The consultation period ends on 30 March 2012.

The Home Office has produced a 22-page Forced Marriage Consultation Paper  - please go to the link. The questions raised in the Consultation Paper may be answered using the Home Office's on-line form. Please go to the link to complete the form. Please note that the form cannot be downloaded; it must be completed on-line. 

The Home Office has advised that every response will count; it is therefore better to send in a form from every club member rather than a combined one on behalf of a club or Region.

The case for and against

Soroptimist clubs SI Bilston and SI Lichfield have produced a document with their responses FOR the proposal to make forced marriage a criminal offence. 

Soroptimist Sameem Ali, from SI Manchester, has produced a document AGAINST the proposal. Sameem, a Labour Councillor for Moss Side in Manchester, is herself a victim of a forced marriage. 

Clubs may wish to consider either points of view when compiling their own responses.