Plea for ban on forced marriages

MICHELLE DUFF

Ethnic women's groups are lobbying the Government to pass legislation against forced marriages as escalating numbers of "high-risk" young victims are coming forward to seek help.

Shakti, which runs refuges for Asian, Indian, and Middle Eastern women in New Zealand, has joined with Pacific Women's Watch and 46 others to petition Parliament to outlaw forced underage marriages – which they say put young girls in situations that can lead to horrendous physical and sexual abuse.

Calls to Shakti's crisis line have risen to 350 calls a month since July 2010, when they averaged 250 a month. Among these are many young girls – and though more are coming forward, there would be others who are too fearful, Priyanca Radhakrishnan of the Shakti Community Council says.

Examples of "honour-based" forced relationships included a 14-year-old who was raped and told by her parents she was "sullied goods" before being made to marry her rapist. Other girls had been threatened with death if they don't agree to an arranged marriage, or were forced into marriage because their parents find out they have a boyfriend or think they dress inappropriately, Ms Radhakrishnan said.

"Domestic violence in general and honour-based violence in specific is a reality for a number of women – and we have first-hand experience of this – and should not be ignored. Violence to a large extent has been normalised in the home country. Many times rape within a marriage isn't even considered, because the idea is once you're married to your husband you are his property."

But forced relationships were an abuse of human rights, which should be illegal in New Zealand, she said.

The petition asks the Government to introduce legislation similar to the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act introduced in Britain in 2007. This would include raising the legal marriage age to 18, penalising accomplices to forced marriage, and allow the courts to issue forced-marriage protection orders.

Justice and electoral select committee chairman Chester Borrows said there was a concern illegal marriages were already happening in New Zealand under ethnic or cultural auspices. "We want to make sure that because there are cultural differences, people who are at risk are not overlooked ... there needs to be some recognition that with the changing face of New Zealand, this is happening."

A report on the petition, issued by the committee in November, is being considered by Justice Minister Simon Power. A spokesman for Mr Power said he was working on a response, and would take any recommendations to the Cabinet.

Case Studies

A 14-year-old girl who fell pregnant after she was raped. Her parents told her she was "sullied goods", and forced her to leave school and marry her rapist. She was made to give birth at home with no medical help, to avoid authorities. By 19, she was isolated at home with three children and suffering daily abuse.

A 17-year-old who took three younger siblings and fled an abusive father, who had three wives and wanted his daughter to marry a man from Pakistan she had never met. Her father left for another country, where he married again.

A woman who came to New Zealand at 16 with an arranged husband who extorted more than $60,000 in dowry from her family, and physically and sexually abused her daily. She eventually escaped after she tried to drown herself and was referred to Shakti by police.

A woman who had to take a protection order out against her family, after they threatened her with an "honour killing" when she refused to go to Afghanistan at the age of 16 and marry her chosen husband, a relative. Now 18, she has no contact with her family.

- © Fairfax NZ News