Here in the GTA, forced marriages are known to affect women and girls, and also men and boys born in Canada, as well as those born abroad, IRRESPECTIVE of ETHNICITY, RELIGION, CULTURE, or SEXUALITY. The Forced Marriage Project (FMP) of Agincourt Community Services Association invites you to participate in FREE training for service providers on the …
The actual picture of the survivor in this story could not be used because of safety concerns for her, and for her family members still in Africa On the Run! What Happens When Your Choice is: Accept a Forced Marriage or Be Killed? Aisha[1] grew up in Canada. On the cusp of puberty she moved …
The Shafia daughters Zainab (top right), 19, Sahar (bottom right), 17, Geeti (bottom left), 13, and Mr. Shafia’s first wife, Rona Amir Mohammad (top left) Honour Crimes: An Oxymoron? What Makes a Crime an Honour Crime? The crimes are horrific. Three girls and their aunt drown in their car, in a canal. …
Starting back in March 2013, the Laidlaw Foundation granted funds to the I do! Project to create an eye opening and informative online public service announcement. The I do! Project set out to shed light on the unspoken issues and incidents of forced marriage that have taken place right here in Toronto, through collaborations …
Forced Marriage by Religious Leaders in Canada ~ Shirley Gillett, FMP Coordinator We’ve all heard the stories out of Bountiful BC’s polygamous Mormon sect (FLDS)[1] where young girls were trafficked between communities in the US and Canada, and forced into polygamous marriages to men often older than their fathers. And we may have heard …
Disposable Daughters Story by : S.C. Gillett Recently, a heart-wrenching story in The New York Times (March 31, 2013) told of a father being forced to give his six-year-old daughter in marriage, as payment for a loan to cover medical bills that he was unable to repay. “She does not know what is …
The “Broken Bride” Project – An Interview with John Onuoha ~ Shirley Gillett, FMP Coordinator FMP: How did you become interested in the issue of forced marriage? JOHN: To start with, my sister’s case inspired me to write the book, Broken Bride. Seeing her gradually breaking down into something I would call a living death after a failed …
Film-screening Event On Sunday, Feb 3rd we had a private film-screening event at Dorset Park Community Hub where we all got to see our documentary The Right is Ours. While waiting for others, we also got to watch some youtube videos (mostly by Lily Singh, who also goes by the name ‘Superwoman.’ This was fun …
Helping Afghan Women Tell Their Stories You can help Afghan women and girls develop their writing skills and share their stories with the rest of the world, including their stories of forced marriage. The Afghan Women’s Writing Project pairs Afghan women and girls with established writers to assist them in developing their writing skills. The …
The Revolution Has Begun When 10-year-old Nujood Ali entered a courtroom in Yemen and demanded a divorce from the abusive man she had been forced to marry, she started a revolution. Her courageous act encouraged other girls in forced marriages to come forward and demand their freedom. It also brought worldwide attention to the issue …