Celebrate and Campaign: HBA, Martial Captivity & Housing

IKWRO is hosting a conference on honour-based abuse, marital captivity and housing at City St George's, University of London on Tuesday 10 November, from 12:30 to 17:30. It's a gathering of the organisations and individuals who helped secure the statutory definition of honour-based abuse in the UK, coming together to mark what's been won and to look at how it's actually working on the ground.

The afternoon is built around presentations, case studies and open discussion. Alongside the look back, there are new campaigns on marital captivity and the lack of safe housing for those escaping honour-based abuse. It's a chance to hear from people who've been in the thick of this for years, rather than just reading the headlines.

The line-up brings together a range of voices. Diana Nammi and Payzee Mahmod, a trustee, represent IKWRO; Natasha Rattu is the Executive Director of Karma Nirvana; Hannah Sereni comes from the Home Office; and Yehudis Fletcher is with Nahamu. Sulema Jahangir also speaks. Among them are survivor-advocates whose work helped raise the minimum marriage age and criminalise virginity testing and hymenoplasty, and a family-law solicitor known as the go-to for stranded spouse and forced marriage cases.

IKWRO is a London-based registered charity founded in 2002 that supports Middle Eastern, North African and Afghan women and girls at risk of honour-based abuse, forced marriage, child marriage and FGM, and runs a refuge. The conference takes place in the Northampton Suite, University Building, City St George's, University of London, Northampton Square, London EC1V 0HB, from 12:30 to 17:30.