Teenagers Put Names on Airport Watch Lists

Girls as Young as 14 Forced to Marry Overseas

Girls as young as 14 are being forced to go overseas to marry older men and have their children according to a recent newspaper report.  These young women are often told by their parents they are going on a holiday but upon arriving at their destination they discover a different reality.  The Daily Telegraph reported that the NSW Minister for Women, Pru Goward, “has ordered an investigation into cases of forced marriage following a rising number of complaints being reported to school counsellors and community leaders.”  One student, fearful her parents intended marrying her off to an older man, has been placed on an airport watchlist after pleading with her school counsellor for help.

(Photograph:  Education poster distributed by British Forced Marriage Unit)