Forced Marriage Workshop
Forced marriages may be thought of as something that happens in other countries, but the UK government are regularly involved in rescuing British citizens who have been illegally forced to marry against their will. In some communities, forced marriage is a very real problem and leads to unhappiness, lost opportunities and, in some cases, domestic abuse.
If forced marriage is an issue in your local community, or even if your school or institution just wants to explore the concept of forced marriage, whether as part of a National Curriculum subject or as a separate topic, then 2020 Dreams offer a high-quality Forced Marriages workshop.
The victims of forced marriages are often too scared or controlled to speak out about their situation. A forced marriage workshop can help to raise awareness of the problem and inspire a new generation to get together and stamp it out once and for all.
Is an Arranged Marriage a Forced Marriage?
To children who have grown up with ‘Western’ values of personal freedom and the concept of romantic love, any notion that a parent figure can play a part in selecting a husband or wife may seem wrong.
However, within certain cultures arranged marriages are accepted as normal and desirable by parents and children alike. As a 2020 Dreams Forced Marriages workshop will make clear from the beginning, there is a significant difference between a forced marriage and an arranged one.
An arranged marriage involves the parents, children and sometimes the wider family. All parties will discuss the proposed union carefully and, at the end of the process, both halves of the couple exercise their legal and religious right to choose whether or not the marriage is to go ahead.
A forced marriage is very different. Here, the bride and groom are pre-selected for marriage by their parents and other family members alone, often before the bride and groom have met one another and sometimes before they have reached adulthood – or even been born! In a forced marriage, there is no choice, for either bride or groom, which often leads to unhappiness, isolation and, in some cases, drastic action like running away or attempting suicide.
Forced marriages sometimes involve a range of illegal behaviours including kidnap, blackmail and violence.
The Power of Role-Play Scenarios
2020 Dreams Forced Marriages workshops use the powerful technique of drama-based role-play to bring the issue of forced marriages to life. In one exercise, students might be divided into groups and play the parts of either parents or children in a fictitious forced marriage scenario. This will stimulate thought and debate while ensuring students stay engaged with the subject.
Open forum discussions will give young people a further chance to express their views on forced marriages and to talk about experiences they have had. Some of the negative consequences of forced marriages will be explored, including loss of freedom, isolation, depression, feelings of betrayal and sometimes domestic abuse (or child abuse if the victim is a child).
Forced Marriages, Culture and Religion
The 2020 Dreams Forced Marriages workshop also counters some of the misunderstandings that surround forced marriage, ensuring students have reliable and up-to-date information.
For example, participants will learn that forced marriages arise from outdated traditions and controlling families and not from religion. All of the major religions believe that marriage is a matter of choice, so families that force their children to marry are breaking religious laws as well as criminal ones.
2020 Dreams understand that the issue of forced marriage is a very sensitive one and our workshops are designed so that no one will be made to feel awkward or to participate in activities that make them feel uncomfortable. Our facilitators are experienced and highly skilled and will happily customise a workshop to suit the needs of your school or institution.
