Understanding how to engage in meaningful dialogue about gender-based violence and forced marriage is crucial to foster support and drive societal change Here’s my tips to navigating these conversations more thoughtfully.

When I reflect on my journey, as a lived experience leader campaigning to end forced marriage and honour-based violence, I often question if lived experience is an asset or a liability.

On 11 June 2024 Universal Truth Founder and CEO, Nyla Khan, hosted a pivotal Roundtable at the Scottish Parliament to discuss strategies for ending forced marriage.

I want to stamp out forced marriage, and so-called honour-based violence, permanently.

Why? Because it happened to me.

Universal Truth, a social enterprise dedicated to helping forced marriage survivors, has launched an economic empowerment support package with an award from The National Lottery Community Fund, made possible by National Lottery players.

Could you be a Board Member for Universal Truth?

Support for forced marriage survivors, the Universal Truth way.

Over 300 forced marriage cases reported in UK in 2022. The latest UK government figures confirms the illegal practice of forced marriage remains a major concern.

Not to be confused with arranged marriage, forced marriage is a serious abuse of human rights, and is illegal in the UK. This means it’s a ‘hidden crime’, so UK statistics don’t reflect the full scale of the abuse.

Let me explain: as a forced marriage survivor and a woman who comes from a South-Asian community and religion, falling in love is a privilege I simply did not have.