Nurses, physicians, mental health professionals, social workers, teachers, child care workers, and others who provide critical services to women, girls, and families are often the first to become aware of a woman or child facing a forced marriage. These professionals often have specific duties mandated by law.
- Legislation should specify the reporting duties of helping professionals who become aware of child or forced marriages.
- Laws should provide for training of helping professionals in regard to how to support those in forced and child marriages.
- Laws should mandate the development of a coordinated community response to forced marriages.
- Laws should encourage politicians and government officers to receive training on forced marriage as a form of violence against women and girls.
Tools:
End Forced Child Marriage: Best Practice Response Guidelines (National Children’s and Youth Law Centre, Australia, 2013).
Honor Violence and Forced Marriage Training Curriculum (Powerpoint) (Webinar video) (The Aha Foundation, 2011)
Forced Marriage eLearning Website (UK Foreign Commonwealth Office)
Guidance for Education Professionals (UK Home Office, 2005)
Young People & Vulnerable Adults Facing Forced Marriage: Practice Guidance for Social Workers (UK Department of Health, 2004)
Dealing with Cases of Forced Marriage: Information for Health Professionals (UK Department of Health, 2007)
Forced Marriage Case Handling Guide for MPs and Constituency Offices (UK Home Office, 2009).
Early and Forced Marriage Screening Checklist, in A Closer Look at Forced and Early Marriage in African Immigrant Communities in New York City, Sauti Yetu (2012), pp.21-22.
For more information see the Implementation Module.