Events

In honour of the International Day of the Girl Child, join us for an enlightening and impactful event dedicated to raising awareness and understanding of “honour”-based abuse, which is predominantly suffered by women and girls. The International Day of the Girl Child is a UN-led initiative that focuses attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights. We hold this event in pledge of building a world for girls free of abuse and violence.

Date: Friday 18th October 2024
Time: 13:00 to 17:30
Location: Northampton Suite, University building, City, University of London

About the Event

“Honour-based” abuse is a critical issue that often goes unrecognised or is mistaken for domestic violence. This event aims to shine a light on the unique aspects of “honour”-based abuse, exploring how it differs from other forms of violence and discussing strategies for better supporting and empowering survivors.

We are bringing together a diverse group of speakers, including professionals, academics, campaigners, and survivors, to share their insights and experiences.

Event Highlights

• • Panel Discussions with a Q&A Session: An open forum for attendees to engage with our speakers and ask questions about honour-based abuse and how to tackle it effectively.

• • Experts in the field will discuss the nuances of honour-based abuse, its identification, and the challenges in differentiating it from domestic violence.

• • Survivors and advocates will share their personal stories and discuss support systems and empowerment strategies.

Our Speakers

Diana Nammi have been a political and human rights activist during the Shah regime and also the Islamic regime and spent 12 years as a Kurdish freedom fighter against the Islamic Regime. In 2020, she published ‘Girl With A Gun’ a book about her early life.

In 2002 she founded IKWRO – Women’s Rights Organisation advocating for women and girls from Middle Eastern and North African communities affected by so called “honour” based abuse, forced marriage, FGM and domestic violence. As Executive Director, successes include brining “honour” based abuse to be consider as a form of violence against women and girls in the UK and beyond, of “the ‘Justice for Banaz’ campaign, resulting in the extradition of two of the perpetrators of the “honour” killing, the criminalization of forced marriage and first national review of policing of HBA. Changing the age of marriage in the England and Wales to 18 and criminalising child marriage, as well as virginity testing and hymenoplasty in the UK.

Dr Roxanne Khan (onEvidence, Director) is Founding Director of HARM (Honour Abuse Research Matrix) – a global interdisciplinary network reforming domestic abuse policy and practice. Dr Khan is author of The Psychology of ‘Honor’ Abuse, Violence, and Killing – the first textbook on this topic for safeguarding and criminal justice practitioners, and researchers. With a Foreword by Payzee Mahmod, this internationally acclaimed book is available for pre-order on 5 November (shipped 26 November 2024). All book royalties will be donated to IKWRO and Halo Project.

As a multi-award-winning research leader, Dr Khan’s pioneering work ‘Domestic Abuse in UK Universities’ was shortlisted by the prestigious Times Higher Education Award, for ‘Research Project of the Year’ 2022.

Shabina Begum is a partner in the International Child Care department, who specialises in international child abduction from both Hague and Non-Hague signatory contracting States, forced marriage, child marriage, female genital mutilation, transnational abandonment, domestic abuse and gender based violence. She is a UN recognised expert of child, early and forced marriages in the UK. She was part of the pro – bono legal team who drafted the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022. She is a Resolution accredited Specialist in Child Abduction & Forced Marriage and Honour-based Violence.

Some of her leading research includes tackling acid violence, child marriage and gender based violence on a global level. She was awarded a Fulbright scholarship in 2017 to undertake research on child marriage in the USA at Cornell University (Ivy League). In 2021 she was invited by the Senate of Mexico to share the findings of her research on child and forced marriage. In 2024 she was invited by the British Consulate General in Hong Kong to lead the Roundtable Discussion on Forced marriage and Child marriage.

Nina Aouilk is an internationally recognised advocate, coach, and consultant, celebrated as Woman of the Year 2023 at the House of Lords for her work against honour killings, forced marriages, and gender-based violence. Sitting on the home office forced marriage unit advisory board as a lived experience survivor and on two advisory boards at Scotland Yard. A distinguished Member of the Freeman to the city of London and Royal Society of Arts. She is the winner of the IKWRO 2024 True Honour Award.

A TEDx speaker, best-selling author, and co-founder of the nonprofit End Honour Killings, Nina is dedicated to creating safer, more inclusive environments worldwide rescuing girls and women from the clutches of being forced into child marriages and the threat of being killed for the sake of honour.

Ladan Hashemi, PhD, is a Senior Research Fellow at the Violence and Society Centre, City St George’s, University of London. Her interdisciplinary research focuses on the intersection of gender, gender-based violence, and health, utilising advanced quantitative methods in social science and epidemiology. She currently leads projects addressing gender-based violence in Iran and the UK, with a particular emphasis on ethnic minorities.

Dr. Kulsoom Yusuf Pridmore is a passionate advocate and leader in the field of gender-based violence prevention and survivor empowerment. She currently serves as the Head of Discipline: Continuous Professional Development and a Programme Leader at the University of Derby, where she has contributed as an educator since 2012.

Motivated by her dedication to social justice, Kulsoom has undertaken extensive research exploring honor-based abuse (HBA) and the role of education in prevention and intervention.

Kulsoom has presented her research findings at conferences on gender studies, equity in education, and safeguarding. She is driven to promote inclusion, diversity, and widened participation across educational institutions and communities.

Outside of academia, Kulsoom volunteers her expertise to spur meaningful change through awareness, training, and policy guidance. She serves as a Trustee for Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation (IKWRO) and has chaired the Board of Directors for Karma Nirvana. Additionally, Kulsoom advises the Rochdale HBA Group as Deputy Chair and sits on their task force developing and delivering training for frontline workers across Rochdale/Greater Manchester. She also works closely with Greater Manchester Police as an expert advisor on their HBA policy review.

Through her multifaceted research, advocacy and community collaboration, Kulsoom is deeply committed to creating institutional change to better serve vulnerable populations and empower survivors

Who Should Attend

We welcome professionals, students, survivors, and anyone interested in understanding and combating honour-based abuse. This is an opportunity to learn from experts, connect with others in the field, and contribute to a meaningful dialogue on this important issue.

Why Attend

• • Increase Awareness: Learn about the specific characteristics and consequences of honour-based abuse.

• • Network: Connect with others who are passionate about ending honour-based abuse.

• • Empowerment: Discover ways to empower survivors and advocate for change.

We have reserved a limited number of free tickets for University of City students and professors. To reserve your free ticket, please email info@ikwro.org.uk. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis.