Women who fear being forced to marry abroad told to hide spoon in underwear

[steve2470]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/15/women-forced-marriage-spoon-underwear



A number of women and girls at risk of forced marriage have avoided going abroad by concealing spoons in their underwear at airport security, according to a campaign group.

Karma Nirvana, a Derby-based charity that supports victims of forced marriage, advises people who ring its helpline to hide a spoon in order to set off metal detectors at British airports. The group says that its recommendation has prevented some women from being spirited overseas.

Last week ministers warned that young people were at the highest risk of being taken abroad for a forced marriage during the school holidays. The government's forced marriage unit received 400 reports between June and August last year, out of an annual total of 1,500.

No one knows for sure how many Britons are forced into marriage each year. Estimates range from 1,500 to 5,000. More than a third of those affected are thought to be aged under 16.

[jberryhill]

1. Tea spoon or table spoon

[COLGATE4]

9. No, thanks. I take mine black.

[JI7]

2. are these British citizens ?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. That is a clever idea.

This way, they set off the alarm, and when they go into an exam room for a private pat-down, they can tell the authorities that they are being forced abroad to marry against their will.

I hope more girls will do this.

K&R

[delrem]

5. Yes, and anything of the kind. nt

[LadyHawkAZ]

4. Great idea, right up until it got publicized

I think it might not be quite so effective now that it's made the news and people are forewarned.

[MH1]

8. That was my thought, too.

It's so horrible that people even have to deal with crap like this.

Why are some cultures so barbaric toward women? It's not like a baby gets to choose whether to be born male or female.

[Live and Learn]

6. Would you really need the spoon?

Wouldn't one simply be able to tell security that you were being sent against your will?

[Kber]

7. Maybe because they are being escorted by the person forcing them into the marriage and they fear

To speak up in their presence? The front line security people are pretty busy and probably dont have a lot of time for the kind of on interviews it would take to uncover this.

However,separate a girl from her family for questioning, and there is both more time and, I'm guessing, better expertise to handle the situation.

[jberryhill]

10. What you have to remember is....

There is no spoon

[kiva]

11. This is an excellent idea.

And if parents begin checking for this, any large enough piece of metal in the clothing should do. People who force children into marriages are scum.

Edited to say that people who force women into marriage are also scum.