The Forced Marriage Unit - Monday 28th February, 10pm
According to most definitions, a marriage becomes ‘forced’ if any coercion - physical or psychological - is used against either spouse in order to force them to consent. This is by no means the same as an arranged marriage, which occurs with the full consent of both parties.
A 2008 Home Office report has suggested that at least 3,000 young women in Britain are the victims of forced marriages each year. The Forced Marriage Unit (FMU), run jointly by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Home Office, receives over 5,000 calls a year relating to the issue. Some of these calls have involved girls as young as 13.
Part current affairs investigation and part character study, The Forced Marriage Unit focuses on the growing phenomenon of forced marriages in the UK and the ‘pushers’ and victims of such unions. The framework to the film revolves around following the work of the FMU and with unrivalled access, we planted ourselves within the FMU (in the UK and abroad) showcasing the work of the unit as well as following new and existing cases as they unfolded. Combined with this are character-driven elements of the film following the lives of victims of forced marriage, those who’ve managed to escape them and those involved in helping such people.
The film, premiering Monday 28th February at 10pm, is a fast paced and evocative documentary that shines a light on this dark underbelly of family values within certain communities in Britain today.
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Read The Guardian's interview with Nilima, one of the young women whose story is featured in the documentary.
Visit the Forced Marriage Unit website.
Watch more hard-hitting documentaries on Current TV.
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- groups:
- Documentaries
