End Virginity Testing
We believe that every woman deserves the right to make any decision about her body – free from shame, stigma or discrimination, without pressure to subscribe to ‘gender-based societal norms’, and without fear of harm. This is why we continue to campaign to end the practice of virginity testing and hymen repair, in addition to tackling the shame and stigma commonly associated to ‘virginity’. ‘Virginity’ is a deeply embedded social norm that has no scientific basis.
From 1st July 2022, the UK government has made it illegal to carry out, offer or aid and abet virginity testing or hymenoplasty in any part of the UK under the Health and Care Act 2022. Virginity tests breach women’s and girls’ fundamental rights under the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA), including the right to be free from torture and inhuman treatment and the right to private and family life.
End Child Marriage
In 2020 we produced a comprehensive report on the problem of child marriage. In England and Wales, children were able to legally register their marriages at 16 and 17 with parental consent. In our experience of supporting victims of child marriage, ‘parent consent’ was often synonymous with ‘parental and community coercion’. Many children were pressured into marriage and in some circumstances will normalise marrying under the age of 18, linked to conditioned customary expectations.
Since our campaign, the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 raised the age of marriage and civil partnership to 18 in England and Wales. This means that 16 to 17-year-olds will no longer be able to marry or enter a civil partnership under any circumstances, including with parental or judicial consent. The Act came into play on Monday 27th February 2023.
32 Years of Karma Nirvana
Originally created for our 30th anniversary, and updated for our Day of Memory 2025, this video shows the inspiring journey of our charity over the past 30 years as we have worked tirelessly to combat honour-based abuse.
We Remember
This video was created for our 9th Day of Memory conference in 2023.
Roots of Honour Based Abuse
As part of our 16 Days of Action 2024, we created our “The Roots of Honour Based Abuse” animation, a powerful visual story designed to educate and inspire. This video explores the deeply rooted beliefs and values that underpin Honour Based Abuse (HBA) and highlights the journey survivors take to break free and rebuild their lives.