Freedom Charity
Specialist safeguarding work, education, campaigns, books, lesson resources, the Freedom App and routes to help for forced marriage, FGM and dishonour abuse.
Explore Freedom CharityHUMAN RIGHTS · SAFEGUARDING · PREVENTION
Human rights and safeguarding
Human rights begin with freedom, safety and genuine choice. Abuse is not made acceptable because it happens inside a family, is defended as tradition or is hidden behind the language of honour.
Aneeta Prem’s work addresses forced marriage, female genital mutilation, dishonour abuse and related forms of coercion and control. This page is an overview of that work, with UK law and services identified clearly where they apply.
IF SOMEBODY IS IN DANGER
Call 999 in an emergency. If you are calling from a mobile and cannot speak, listen to the operator and press 55 if prompted so the call can be transferred to the police. This website is not an emergency or casework service; use the specialist-help links below for confidential support.
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Forced marriage
Forced marriage is when the freedom to choose is taken away. It can affect women, men, children, disabled people, LGBT+ people and people from many communities and faiths. In England and Wales, it is also an offence to cause a child under 18 to marry even without coercion, and the law protects people who lack the mental capacity to consent.
Forced marriage is not the same as an arranged marriage. In an arranged marriage, both people remain free to accept or refuse. In a forced marriage, that freedom has been taken away.
Aneeta has campaigned for forced marriage to be recognised as abuse, a safeguarding concern and a matter of public protection. Her work sits within the wider public and political movement around prevention, education and stronger protection.
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Female genital mutilation
Female genital mutilation, or FGM, is a global human-rights, health and safeguarding issue. It refers to procedures that intentionally alter or injure female genital organs for non-medical reasons. It has no health benefit and can cause immediate and lifelong harm.
FGM is a form of violence against women and girls; when the victim is a child, it is child abuse. Prevention depends on adults recognising risk, responding safely and refusing to let discomfort about culture, community or language delay protection.
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Why Freedom says ‘Dishonour Abuse’
Official bodies commonly use the term honour-based abuse. Freedom Charity introduced and campaigns for the term Dishonour Abuse because honour is the perpetrator’s attempted justification, not a quality of the act. Aneeta uses that language in her public work while retaining official terminology where legal precision requires it.
Dishonour abuse can involve coercive control, forced marriage, FGM, threats, assault, stalking, abduction, confinement, sexual violence or murder. It may involve several relatives or community members, so ordinary assumptions about safe family involvement can be dangerous.
There is no honour in controlling, frightening or harming another person. The dishonour lies with those who abuse, not with the person who refuses, leaves or asks for help.Read the cornerstone analysis
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Consent, capacity and identity
Consent must be freely given, informed and specific. It cannot be inferred from silence, compliance, fear, dependency or family pressure.
Forced marriage can be used against people with mental-capacity concerns and against LGBT+ people, including transgender people. Marriage must never be used to conceal, deny or change who someone is. Nobody can consent to marriage on another person’s behalf.
Children do not always disclose
Children living with coercion may not describe themselves as victims. They may fear punishment, removal from their family, disbelief or consequences for somebody they love. Some have never been told that what is happening is wrong.
Safeguarding cannot depend on a child producing a perfect account.
FROM ANALYSIS TO ACTION
Prevention in practice
The Five Freedoms
Aneeta’s practical framework: the freedom to choose, refuse, leave, learn and be, without coercion, violence, fear or shame.
Explore the frameworkThis page provides general public information about safeguarding and Aneeta Prem’s work. It is not individual legal advice or a casework service.