Led by Manchester Metropolitan University in partnership with Jeena Charity UK.

Join us for this roadshow event (as part of our National HBV Roadshow 2018) with a range of academics, policymakers and local communities sharing their experiences and work around HBV and forced marriages in the region and across the UK.

This event, which concludes the National Roadshow, is introduced by Virendra Sharma MP, Member for Ealing, Southall.

This is an invite-only event. Please do not forward this page tp other individuals. Attendees must bring their ticket and email confirmation from Eventbrite on the day.

Directions

This event takes place in Committee Room 10. Enter via Cromwell Green number 8. Please visit https://www.parliament.uk/documents/facilities/maps/colmap.pdf for a map.

Speakers

Dr Maz Idriss – Manchester Law School, Manchester Metropolitan University
‘Male victims of HBV and forced marriages’
Dr Annapurna Waughray (Manchester Law School, Manchester Metropolitan University) with Santosh Dass MBE
‘HBV and Caste Discrimination’
Rani Bilkhu – CEO, Jeena Charity
‘Specialist BAMER services on Harmful Cultural Practices and Safeguarding Beyond Borders’
David Myers – Joint Head, Forced Marriage Unit (Home Office)
Clive Driscoll – Former Detective Chief Inspector, Scotland Yard
Jagdeesh Singh – Jeena Charity
‘20 Years On since Britain’s Leading Outsourced Honour Killing: Remembering Surjit Athwal and current Victims’

Rationale

The Roadshow is designed to raise public awareness through bringing together community groups and other organisations who have either experienced honour based violence (HBV) and forced marriages or are working within the field in order to help shape future research and policy agendas.

By bringing together key stakeholders and policymakers to hear the experiences and struggles from a male survivor in accessing appropriate support, we hope to stimulate dialogue between people who can really make an impact towards policy change.

Specifically drawing upon research and the expertise of researchers at Manchester Metropolitan University and its collaborative partners, guest speakers will highlight current problems and issues faced in supporting both female and male victims of honour-based violence (HBV), forced marriages and caste discrimination.

Biographies

Maz Idriss – Senior Lecturer, Manchester Law School

Maz’s research focuses on: male victimisation, abuse and the challenges currently facing state agencies, including the 'social construction' of male victims and issues involving masculinity that can prevent men from coming forward to access support.

Attendees will also have the benefit of listening first-hand to the experiences of Harmeet Singh, a male survivor of domestic abuse, HBV and caste discrimination, and the challenges he continues to face when attempting to access support.

Dr Annapurna Waughray – Reader, Manchester Law School

Annapurna’s research focuses on issues of caste, caste-based discrimination and the law, in the Indian sub-continent in the UK, and in the wider South Asian diaspora.

In the Indian sub-continent, the link between caste and HBV is undisputed and there is an extensive body of scholarship on the topic as well as widespread activism condemning the role played by caste in HBV. The link between caste and HBV has been identified in UK research, and caste has been identified in CPS guidelines on HBV as a driver for HBV, but research on this topic in the UK is extremely limited. Annapurna’s contribution to this project would be directed at this research gap.

Santosh Dass MBE – Human rights and women’s equality campaigner

Santosh is a human rights and equality campaigner living in the UK. She is a former civil servant and held a number of senior roles at the Department of Health including lead roles in Regulation, Governance, and Risk Management. Santosh has been one of the leading figures in the campaign to outlaw Caste-based discrimination in the UK.

Rani Bilkhu – CEO, Jeena Charity

Rani has used a unique and innovative approach when challenging social issues of domestic violence, human rights, gender equality, female genital mutilation, forced marriages, child sexual exploitation, sexuality and disability within BAMER communities, raising awareness on a local, national and international level for over 20 years.

She has tirelessly campaigned within Parliament and raised awareness of sex selection abortions, obtaining votes in the House of Commons. Rani regularly contributes to the government's Forced Marriage Unit, and Violence Against Women and Girls. Launching grassroot initiatives such as the 'Ugly Side of Beauty' and 'Safe ToolKit' and Jeena SuitCases has also helped and supported the vulnerable.

David Myers – Joint Head, Forced Marriage Unit (Home Office)

David Myers was appointed as Joint Head of the Forced Marriage Unit at the Home Office in February 2017.

Clive Driscoll – Former Detective Chief Inspector, Scotland Yard

Clive Driscoll is most famous for being the man who finally secured convictions for the murder of Stephen Lawrence. Throughout his 35-year career, he worked on some of the most high-profile cases at Scotland Yard.

Jagdeesh Singh – Jeena Charity

The brother of Surjit Athwal, who was murdered in an honour killing, Jagdeesh campaigned vigorously on Surjit’s suspicious disappearance in December 1998. He has consistently called for a public investigation of the same kind undertaken on the Stephen Lawrence murder, to examine and rectify the various aspects of Surjit-type cases in the UK.

Honour-Based Violence (HBV) National Roadshow 2018: House of Commons, Westminister