Women united in a rally against deadly “honour-based abuse” following an alarming rise in the number of reported victims. Merseyside-based charity Savera UK, which helps survivors of harmful practices such as forced marriage, female genital mutilation and conversion therapy, has seen an increase of almost 36% in new referrals to its service.
Joined by Zonta International, a charity opposing child marriage and gender-based violence, campaigners marched through Williamson Square today, November 23, with placards reading “End forced marriage”, “End virginity testing”, and “End HBA”. Another demonstration will take place at Lime Street Station on Monday for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
Get a free National Trust day pass for your family day out this winter!
All 20,000 tickets to HMS Prince of Wales sell out in two days
Today’s event was led by the drums of Katumba and the Wavertree Community Gospel Choir. Concluding at the Museum of Liverpool, speeches were given by Savera UK CEO Afrah Qassim, Diane Jeans of Zonta UK, and Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell.
Charity CEO speaks on dangers of honour-based abuse
Savera UK CEO and Founder Afrah Qassim said: “While a national decrease in reports of HBA offences appears positive, for us as a frontline grassroots organisation, the latest data is deeply concerning, and there has never been a greater need for us to work to raise awareness.“What is being reported by police contradicts what we are seeing on the ground, which is actually increasing referrals for HBA and harmful practices such as FGM and forced marriage. HBA remains a local issue that happens here and can affect anyone.
Victims may be too scared to come forward
“We believe that the decrease may be indicative of challenges such as fear or reluctance to report HBA offences to police out of fear for reprisal or consequences; the fear of not being believed or the issues not being understood, or the high risk of harm that is characteristic of HBA and harmful practices not being recognised.”
Woman suffered painful FGM procedure when she was 10
One mum, Khatra Paterson, shared her story with the ECHO ahead of the march. The 55-year-old was just 10 when her parents sent her to Djibouti, on the Horn of Africa, to undergo female genital mutilation. She said: “I was scared and didn’t know what was going on, so I tried to fight, but they restrained me.”Then I felt a blinding pain in my privates. I didn’t know what they were doing. I screamed for my mum, and one of the women said to me, ‘This is what your mother wanted.'”
Join us in saying NO 