The Iranian & Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation (IKWRO) are delighted to announce this year’s nominees.

T/DC Alex Montgomerie

 

Detective Constable Alex Montgomerie has worked in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea for the past 10 years. In 2010 he was assigned to the Community Safety Unit which is responsible for tackling crimes involving domestic violence and ‘honour’ based violence and sex crimes. These are high risk crimes which require a high level of victim care and sensitivity.

His nominator commended Detective Constable Alex Montgomerie for his sensitive approach. He supported an extremely vulnerable woman throughout the criminal justice process, enabling her to feel safe enough to take the witness stand and seek justice from the perpetrators.

 

“Brave Survivor”

She is a survivor of domestic violence and ‘honour’ based violence perpetrated against by her ex-husband and his family. She had to fight for her rights against the family’s tribal traditions and culture. She says she feels like she has a fresh chance at life which she is grabbing with both hands. She is raising her child, learning English and volunteering in a charity shop. She is determined to complete her education by attending university. She wants to study Law and one day she hopes to be able to represent and empower other women like herself who face domestic violence and ‘honour’ based violence.

Frances Harrison

Frances Harrison
Frances Harrison

Frances Harrison is a former BBC broadcaster and writer. She is currently focussing on exposing war crimes and crimes against humanity that have taken place Sri Lanka. In particular she is giving a voice to Tamil victims of rape, including through a recent ground-breaking TV documentary. Within the Tamil community sexual abuse continues to be considered a taboo and many are too ashamed and traumatised to mention their rape their asylum interviews. Through her work Frances is helping survivors to break through the stigma and speak about the injustices they have faced. She is also is trying to set up a safe house in the UK for Sri Lankan women rape victims.

This documentary broadcast the first interview with a rape survivor (from Sri Lanka now in the UK) showing her face on camera and at a public screening survivors of rape were emboldened to stand up and identify themselves, declaring they too had been abused, despite the stigma in their community.

In 2012 Frances published, “Still Counting the Dead: Survivors of Sri Lanka’s Hidden War” which tells the account of a young mother detained and gang raped, while pregnant, by the Sri Lankan police who were looking for her husband. This woman had never even discussed it with her husband or mother or sister because of the stigma.

Jagdeesh Singh

Jagdeesh Singh
Jagdeesh Singh

Jagdeesh Singh is a strong, persistent campaigner against ‘honour’ based violence, seeking justice for victims of ‘honour’ killings. His sister Surjit Kaur Athwal, was in an unhappy violent marriage and decided to seek a divorce. However in 1998, when she was 26, she was tricked into travelling to North India, on the premise of attending a family wedding, where she was murdered in an ‘honour’ killing, arranged by her mother-in-law and husband.

Jagdeesh felt compelled to seek justice and speak out about what had happened to his sister and others like her. In the face of fierce opposition from some in his community he continues to expose the issue, calling for community leaders, influential religious groups and local language newspapers to break their silence and play their part in ending honour killing

Almost 10 years after Surjit’s murder, over which Jagdeesh and other family members campaigned tirelessly for justice, her husband and mother-in-law were convicted and received life sentences. This was the first conviction in the UK for an outsourced ‘honour’ killing and the high profile trial, which Jagdeesh did all he could to publicise, helped to bring focus to the issue.

The contract killers who carried out Surjit’s murder in India, have never been brought to justice. Jagdeesh and his family call for the Indian and British governments to make this happen. They have written to the Prime Minister, calling on him to press the Indian authorities into action and to seek a UK inquiry into the case and others of its kind.

Jasvinder Sanghera

Jasvinder Sanghera
Jasvinder Sanghera

Jasvinder Sanghera is a survivor of a forced marriage & founder of Karma Nirvana, now a leading national Charity hosting the national dedicated Helpline supporting victims and professionals in the UK that supports thousands every year.

She is the author of two best-selling books Shame, and Daughters of Shame which have been translated into over five languages. She also recently had a further book published called Shame Travels.

Speaking at hundreds of national and international platforms, Jasvinder is received as an outstanding inspirational presenter who transforms a complex subject into one which is clearly understood. Jasvinder has been honoured with a CBE for her services to victims of forced marriages and ‘honour’ based abuse.

Lisa Avalos

Lisa Avalos
Lisa Avalos

Professor Lisa Avalos is Assistant Professor of Law at University of Arkansas School of Law. She earned her J.D. from New York University School of Law. She also holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in sociology from Northwestern University, and a B.A. in psychology from Northwestern University.

Professor Avalos’ research focuses on international human rights with an emphasis on women’s human rights, gender-based violence, and sexual violence. She works with international nongovernmental organisations to develop policy solutions that address persistent human rights violations such as rape, child marriage, and ‘honour’ based violence. She led a group of law students who conducted research for IKWRO regarding the characteristics and prevalence of ‘honour’ based violence in North America.

London Kurdish Film Festival

London Kurdish FIlm Festival
London Kurdish FIlm Festival

The London Kurdish Film Festival has become one of the biggest film festivals to showcase the work of Kurdish filmmakers from around the world. Each festival has screened a unique collection of feature films, short films and documentaries touching upon many social and political themes within Kurdish society. The 8th Festival, which took place from 15 to 24th of November 2013, was proud to be able to screen several works by Kurdish filmmakers about ‘honour’ killing and other issues affecting Kurdish women. The opening gala was crowned with the UK premiere of Before Snowfall, a thought provoking and poignant film about ‘honour’ killing, by the multi-award winning director Hisham Zaman.

The festival is of the opinion that it should not be merely an artistic platform but also use the medium of film to highlight import issues in the community such as ‘honour’ killing. For that reason the organising committee decided to screen Banaz: A Love Story, which was followed by a discussion with several people involved in the case of Banaz Mahmod. The organising committee was honoured to have the opportunity to show support to all those women and who are fighting against ‘honour’ killing.

Nimco Ali

Nimco Ali
Nimco Ali

Nimco Ali is co-founder and director of Daughters of Eve, a non-profit organisation that works to protect girls and young women who are at risk of female genital mutilation.

Prior to setting up Daughters of Eve she worked in the Civil Service for several years, as well as an Independent Training Consultant and Women’s rights activist. She has written widely on FGM and violence against women and girls within the black and minority ethnic (BME) community and is currently a PhD candidate.

After graduating from Bristol she took up an internship with the UN in New York where she worked on gender discrimination issues, returning to serve as an advisor to the END FGM Europe campaign.

Pavanpreet Ahmed

Pavanpreet is a brave, inspirational campaigner, seeking justice for her mother Surjit Kaur Athwal, who was murdered by contract killers in India, in an outsourced ‘honour’ killing.

Along with her uncle Jagdeesh Singh and her mother’s sister-in-law Sarbjit Kaur Athwal, Pavanpreet campaigns tirelessly for justice for Surjit. Almost 10 years after her mother’s murder, her mother’s husband and mother-in-law were convicted for arranging the murder and received life sentences. This was the first UK conviction of an outsourced murder. Pavanpreets bravery has helped publicise the case and issue of crime committed in the so called name of ‘honour’.

Pavanpreet and her family continue to seek justice for her mother. Pavanpreet organised a 14-year memorial event at the House of Commons on the anniversary of her mother’s disappearance which was attended by over 100 guests including the Metropolitan police, representatives of women’s rights organisations and members of parliament. At the event Pavenpreet and her family called on the British Government to press the Indian Government to bring Surjit’s murderers in India to justice.

Sarbjit Kaur Athwal

Sarbjit Kaur Athwal
Sarbjit Kaur Athwal

Sarbjit was just 18 when she married her husband and moved into his family’s strict home. Their mother-in-law treated the two daughter-in-laws like servants. Surjit was more rebellious and was regularly beaten for her disobedience. When the family found out that Surjit was having an affair they took her to a family wedding in India, where her mother-in-law arranged for her to be drugged, strangled and thrown into a river.

When Sarbjit found out what had happened to her sister-in-law she was terrified and was told that if she breathed a word, the same thing would happen to her. For the sake of her life and her family, she kept silent, but the stress nearly killed her and finally, lying in hospital fearing she might die, she told her parents what had happened.

Finally with Sarbjit’s help, her mother-in-law and Surjit’s husband were arrested and sentenced to life in prison. Sarbjit became the first person within a family connected with an ‘honour’ killing to go into open court, waiving her anonymity to break the notions of ‘shame’ that had killed her sister-in-law. Although she has faced intimidation and threats from her community, she will not be silent.

She joined the Metropolitan Police Service in hope of helping other victims like herself and published her account in Shamed in June 2013. Together with Surjit’s daughter Pavanpreet Ahmed, she hosted a meeting at Parliament to raise awareness and keep the issue of ‘honour’ killings at the forefront of everybody’s mind. She has now set up an organisation called Your Voice to help support others facing abuse.

Saliha Rashid

Saliha Rashid
Saliha Rashid

Saliha is a survivor of ‘honour’ based violence. After battling with her own experiences and making numerous attempts to flee for her safety she is now in full-time education and she is volunteering with Karma Nirvana who praise her for her commitment and courage. Her aim is to support others and campaign for their rights. Through her volunteering she gives a voice for those who do not have one. She gives invaluable emotional support to victims through the Honour Network Helpline and is an active member of Karma Nirvana’s Survivors Panel. By sharing her story she gives hope to others that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Karma Nirvana have been told by callers that they have found Saliha’s support both extremely helpful and empowering. She also assists Karma Nirvana with training front-line professionals about ‘honour’ based violence and has helped the general public to have a greater understanding about the issue by giving media interviews.

Saheliya

Saheliya
Saheliya

Saheliya supports and promotes the positive mental health and well-being of black, minority ethnic, asylum seeker, refugee and migrant women and girls (12+), including victims of ‘honour’ based violence in the Edinburgh area. They aim to develop their clients’ self-esteem and confidence and reduce barriers such as isolation and depression, by using a holistic range of services including counselling, practical support and advocacy, befriending, complementary therapies, outreach, group work and through Young Saheliya. Their services are free and confidential.

Zlakha Ahmed

Zlakha Ahmed
Zlakha Ahmed

Zlakha Ahmed set up Apna Haq, which means Your Right, 20 years ago. Apna Haq is an organisation that provides one to one support for women from the ethnic minority communities in Rotherham facing domestic violence, ‘honour’ based violence and forced marriage .They also work to raise awareness about these issues within the Asian community and advise voluntary and statutory agencies to give them a better understanding of issues facing the women that they assist. Additionally they provide training and voluntary opportunities for women. Over the years Apna Haq has become well known regionally, nationally and abroad for the work it does in supporting women facing issues of ‘honour’ based violence.

 

With thanks to the events sponsors: the Association of Asian Women’s Lawyers, Dawson Cornwell, 7 Bedford Row Chambers and Mukhtiar Singh

If you are worried about someone knowing you have visited this website please read this safety information.

There is an escape button at the bottom right corner of the page opposite this box. Please test it so you know how it works.