UK wants system to stop forced marriages with NRI women

British courts can issue Forced Marriage Protection Orders to prevent taking women abroad for such marriages.

“We work informally with Indian bureaucracy to find these women and save them. British government is keen to turn it into a formal arrangement,” Featherstone told reporters during an interaction at Indian Women’s Press Corps.

The UK has a Forced Marriage Protection Unit,which has dealt with such cases among Pakistanis,Indians and Bangladeshis,among other communities. A House of Commons panel recently favoured criminalising forced marriages.

Featherstone,touring India and Nepal in her role as UK Ministerial Champion on violence against women and girls,said she discussed issues of selective abortion,trafficking,gender-based violence,forced marriages and honour killing with Indian officials and leaders,including chairwoman of the Parliamentary committee on empowerment of women.

She said India and the UK will share information and exchange views on these issues and there is also a proposal for a “reference point” at the Indian High Commission where such cases can be reported.