On the 15th of June, the Commissioner spoke at the Roshni Forced Marriage & Honour-based Violence Conference in Birmingham. Roshni (the Right to Choose) is a charity established in 1979 to support Black and Minority Ethnic survivors of Domestic Abuse, with a particular emphasis on Honour Based Abuse and forced marriage.
The Commissioner said: “For those who remove themselves from situations of Honour Based Abuse we must have provision of services…we can’t have DA and forced marriage sitting in silos of separate funding.”
The event was well attended by Government officials, parliamentarians, policy influencers, frontline professionals (including healthcare, police and education), local authority officials, and domestic abuse specialists and survivors. Speakers included:
Dr Surwat Sohail Chief Executive, Roshni Birmingham
Rakhee Thakrar Patron, Roshni Birmingham
Simon Foster West Midlands Police & Crime Commissioner
Nicky Brennan Victim Commissioner for the West Midlands
Rt Hon Caroline Noakes MP Chair of Women & Equalities