SALCO - Who, If, When to Marry -The Incidence of Forced Marriage in Ontario (Sep 2013)

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There was no measure included in the survey to assess how many individuals were pressured to leave thecountry or were under threat to be forcefully taken abroad. Some of the respondents, however, did advisethat there were unsuccessful attempts to take FM victims out of Canada in their cases. As discussed above,the data reflects FM cases, both within Canada and abroad, require equal attention and resources.6EducationThe survey indicated that 33% of the individuals facing FM situations had not completed high school and32% had a high school diploma. This statistic is consistent with the data that2% at least3%30% of the reportedcases involved individuals who were 18 or younger. Furthermore, 15%of the reported cases involvedindividuals with a college diploma and another 15% had a university degree. The 15%variance in educationalbackground reported confirms that FM does not correlate with lack of education. FM is a phenomenon 33% thatextends to victims with different levels of education.2% 3%15%Figure 5: Level of 15% Education of Individuals FacingForced Marriage 15% Situations2% 3%15%15%15%15%33%Less than HighSchoolHigh 32%School33%Diploma2% 3%32%CollegeDiplomaUniversityDiplomaLess than HighSchoolCollegeDiplomaSpecializedDegree15%High School32%DiplomaUniversityDiplomaUnknownLess than HighSchoolHigh SchoolDiploma32%CollegeDiplomaUniversityDiplomaSpecializedDegreeUnknownLess than HighSchool7Awareness of RightsThe survey found that 50 % of individuals who came to see service providers were not aware of their rightsHigh SchoolDiplomaCollegeDiplomaUniversityDiplomaSpecializedDegreeUnknownwith respect to forced marriage. In another 21% of the cases, the respondents were unsure of whetherthe clients were aware of their rights. Considering these findings, educational institutions, particularlyhigh schools, would be suitable avenues to integrate educational information regarding FM, human rights,14
available resources and recourses available to Canadians should one ever find themselves in a FMsituation. Education and training for teachers, school staff and youth workers must be prioritized as the datareveals that a high number of reported FM cases are from individuals who have not yet completed highschool. The ability of professionals in the education system to read the warning signs exhibited by victimsand assist them accordingly is critical to reaching this vulnerable group of victims.8Socio-Economic StatusFM was found to be pervasive among a large spectrum of socio-economic classes. While the family mayhave been financially sound, the individual often was not. In almost half of the reported cases (44%), theindividual did not have an independent source of income. The figure includes a large number of minorswhose financial security depends on family members who may be involved or implicit in forcing a marriage.Also, many of the women who did report a reliable source of income were often married and financiallydependent on their partner (who they had been forced to marry). The data indicates that FM victims areoften at a severe economic disadvantage.Figure 6: Level of Income of Individuals FacingForced Marriage SituationsPERCENTAGE OF CASES50403020100$0Less than $10,000$10,000–$19,000$20,000–$29,000$30,000–$39,000INCOME$40,000–$49,000$50,000–$59,000UnknownA lack of financial resources for victims of forced marriage is a compounding factor that will impact theFM situation. Victims may feel powerless to leave a FM or attempt to stop an FM because of this lackof income. Furthermore, the idea of potential poverty as a result of leaving a FM could impact a victim’sdecision-making process on how to proceed. Consideration must be given to the supports in place for FMvictims to re-settle post-FM.15
Page 1 and 2: South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario
Page 3 and 4: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSSALCO would like to
Page 5: TABLE OF CONTENTSIntroduction 1Hist
Page 9 and 10: HISTORY OF SALCO’SFORCED MARRIAGE
Page 11 and 12: FORCED MARRIAGE:LEGISLATION IN CANA
Page 14 and 15: CASESTUDYRicky was born and raised
Page 16 and 17: 2 AgeThe survey found that the majo
Page 18 and 19: 4Citizenshipand Length of Time in C
Page 22 and 23: 9Perpetrators of Forced MarriageFro
Page 24 and 25: individual get a job (so the person
Page 26 and 27: the situation or fled. Although all
Page 28 and 29: Another significant challenge noted
Page 30 and 31: CASESTUDYEver since Nina turned 16,
Page 32 and 33: RISK ASSESMENTRecommendation #3: De
Page 34 and 35: Recommendation #8: Better protectio
Page 36 and 37: WORKS CITEDBuckeridge, J. (2012, Au
Page 38 and 39: 2% 1% 1%Figure 1: Age of Individual
Page 40 and 41: 15%15%2% 3%Figure 5: Level of Educa
Page 42 and 43: 13%1%4%11%Figure 9: Level of Educat
Page 44 and 45: INFORMATION AND CONSENT FORMThis is
Page 46 and 47: Level of education:High School Dipl
Page 48 and 49: APPENDIX CInterview Questions42
Page 50: APPENDIX DConference Report44

SALCO - Who, If, When to Marry -The Incidence of Forced Marriage in Ontario (Sep 2013)

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