26th August 2025
We welcomed the Minister for Safeguarding Jess Phillips MP to our offices in Leeds to highlight our life-saving work and what is needed to tackle HBA going forward. This visit accompanies the announcement of 6 new measures the government is planning to tackle HBA in the UK, including legislating at the appropriate opportunity to introduce a statutory definition for HBA.
About the Visit
During the visit, Minister Phillips met with Karma Nirvana’s helpline staff, members of the Karma Nirvana Survivor Ambassador Panel, as well as Yasmin Javed and Sawaria Sajid. The minister heard firsthand accounts of the challenges faced by survivors and victims of Honour Based Abuse, the gaps in support, and the steps required to better support them. The Minister was given an overview of the charity’s national Honour Based Abuse Helpline data, training and other support programmes, Karma Nirvana’s history, and campaigning efforts aimed at changing policy and public awareness.
The Minister was also able to discuss cases with Karma Nirvana’s helpline team and listen to a call during the visit, demonstrating the work and support Karma Nirvana offers every day. The visit included discussions on how the government and the charity sector can work in partnership to strengthen support for victims, improve early intervention, and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice.
“As Fawziyah’s mother, I am pleased that the government has listened to our calls for a statutory definition of Honour Based Abuse, and that this change has been made in Fawziyah’s memory. I hope that this will help many more people affected by HBA and ensure that the multiple perpetrators of this abuse are properly recognised and addressed.”
Yasmin Javed, Mother of Fawziyah Javed
About the New Measures
The new measures the government has announced include:
- Legislating at the appropriate opportunity to introduce multi-agency statutory guidance and an accompanying statutory definition of HBA to support statutory agencies such as the police and social work to better identify HBA and encourage multi-agency working.
- Working with the National Centre for VAWG Public Protection to improve police risk assessment on HBA so officers can identify and respond to the risks posed to victims as early as possible.
- Launching a community engagement campaign to raise awareness of HBA and encourage people to come forward for support.
- Conducting a study to test the viability of producing a national prevalence estimate for forced marriage and FGM.
- Developing additional free e-learning modules for professionals who work with victims and perpetrators of HBA to improve their ability to spot the signs and their understanding of how to manage cases appropriately.
- Continuing to fund and uplift funding to Karma Nirvana to deliver the national HBA helpline providing support and advice to victims, survivors and the professionals who help them.
Karma Nirvana has been campaigning for the introduction of a statutory definition accompanied by statutory guidance for Honour Based Abuse since the launch of our #Push4Change campaign on International Women’s Day in 2024, in memory of Fawziyah Javed. The campaign is backed by over 30 sector partners, and proposes a definition that was co-created with survivors, sector partners and legal experts to ensure the definition is legally sound. This announcement represents a critical step forward in tackling HBA in the UK.
This milestone is also a huge relief and a moment of recognition for all those who have campaigned tirelessly for change. We are deeply grateful to our supporters throughout this journey, especially Yasmin, whose courage and advocacy following the launch of ‘The Push: Murder on the Cliff’ documentary has been instrumental.
Listen to hear more about what the recent government announcements to tackle Honour Based Abuse means going forward, in a Radio 5 Live interview with our Executive Director, Natasha Rattu