Dr Hannah Baumeister
Hannah joined Liverpool John Moores University as a Lecturer in Law in September 2021. Prior to this, she worked as a lecturer, fellow and tutor in European Cultural History, Law, and Gender and Security in Germany, Mauritius, and the UK. Her educational background is in European Studies, Conflict Studies, and Law. Her research focuses on conflict-related gender-based violence, its causes, consequences and ways of addressing in law, psycho-social work, and the arts.
Emma Brown
Emma Brown is an accomplished illustrator, cartoonist, and comic creator whose passion lies in utilizing art, comics, and storytelling to enhance information dissemination and research accessibility. Emma collaborates extensively with humanitarians, researchers, universities, NGOs, charities, and other statutory bodies, to drive positive transformations in health-seeking patterns and pressing concerns such as poverty, gender disparity, and the climate crisis. Emma teams up with industry experts, translating their research and insights into engaging public-oriented comics, narratives, and infographics. Her work embodies a powerful fusion of creativity and advocacy, making a significant impact on critical global issues.
Alex Carabine
Alex is the research assistant for the Drawing on Forced Marriage project. She is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Liverpool, where she researches the influences of medieval culture on nineteenth-century Gothic literature. She has published short stories and written on comics in the past, and is fascinated by the visual and literary merits of the medium. Alex is delighted to be part of a project where she can work with such accomplished women, and where her Humanties skills can be used to help address urgent issues like forced marriage.
Helen McCabe
Helen has worked on issues around forced marriage and modern slavery since she joined the University of Nottingham’s Rights Lab in 2017. She is currently Associate Professor of Political Theory, and her background is the history of political thought, particularly that of John Stuart Mill and Harriet Taylor, both of whom strongly criticised the non-consensual and “slavery-like” form of marriage in their own day. Helen has led research projects on forced marriage and honour-based abuse funded by the AHRC, ESRC and British Academy. She is currently a BA Innovation Fellow, working with Karma Nirvana to better understand what data is collected about honour-based abuse in the UK, and how it is used to inform policy. In 2021, she was a POST Parliamentary Academic Fellow, working to support the work of the Home Affairs Select Committee, particularly their inquiries relating to violence against women and girls. You can find out more about her work at www.forcedmarraigeresearch.ac.uk.
Catherine Kirk
Catherine has worked in the field of Personal, Social, Health Education (PSHE) and Relationships and Sex Education for over 20 years as a consultant, trainer, teacher, and author. She currently works for Nottingham City Council supporting schools to develop their policies and practice around health and wellbeing. Catherine is passionate about PSHE/RSE and, in particular, creative ways to engage children and young people in learning. In 2018 Catherine founded RSE Day, a national day to celebrate great relationships and sex education, with a particular focus on creativity.
Savera UK Youth
Savera UK Youth is Savera UK’s youth body and a pivotal part in the charity’s mission to end ‘honour’-based abuse (HBA) and harmful practices for good. This youth-led project is driven by its Youth Advisory Board, a core group of 14– 25-year-olds who develop and implement a wide range of programmes, projects, and campaigns, with a wider youth membership that participates in a range of activities to help raise awareness and campaign to end HBA and harmful practices.
For more information, visit: https://www.saveraukyouth.co.uk/
As part of Savera UK’s youth engagement, the charity also offers youth education sessions in schools and within youth-based community settings.
For more information, visit: https://www.saverauk.co.uk/what-we-do/education/
Karma Nirvana
Karma Nirvana was founded by Dr Jasvinder Sanghera CBE, after she escaped a forced marriage at 15 and tragically lost her sister to Honour Based Abuse.
In 1993, Karma Nirvana became the first specialist charity for victims and survivors of Honour Based Abuse in the UK.
Since then, Karma Nirvana have led the campaign against Honour Based Abuse – supporting, empowering and educating those impacted, so they can live a life free of abuse.
Karma Nirvana run the national Honour Based Abuse Helpline, producing data on Honour Based Abuse, train frontline practitioners and professionals, and campaign for change, working with parliamentarians and policy-makers.
For more information, visit https://karmanirvana.org.uk/
To contact the National Honour Based Abuse Helpline, please call 0800 5999 247.
Afrah Qassim
Afrah Qassim is the Founder and CEO of Savera UK, a leading national charity working to end ‘honour’-based abuse and harmful practices including female genital mutilation, forced marriage, virginity testing, breast ironing and conversion therapy.
‘Savera’ means ‘new beginning’ in Hindi, which is what the charity provides for survivors/those at risk, regardless of age, culture, sexuality, gender, or ethnicity. The organisation was established in 2010 and became a registered charity in 2012, following the work of the Black & Racial Minorities (BRM) communities & domestic abuse group, which Afrah founded, and which identified gaps in provision of specialist services addressing domestic abuse and harmful practices within BME communities.
At the time authorities in Merseyside didn’t believe HBA & Harmful Practices were an issue in the area, largely because there was no data. However, from her work in the NHS looking at mental health and inequalities in BME communities and in her own community, Afrah knew this was due to a lack of understanding and therefore ability to identify and record these practices amongst professionals. She established Savera UK to fill those gaps in provision and knowledge, through direct intervention and safeguarding, advocacy, education, awareness-raising, and campaigning for policy, attitude, and behaviour change. Between 2016 and 2022 demand for its service has increased by more than 1,000%.
Savera UK is a national organisation, with its helpline and online referral forms open to anyone in the UK. Training, campaigns, education, and consultancy services are also available nationally. The charity currently provides 1-1 Direct Intervention services in Cheshire and Merseyside, with plans to expand into other areas.
Afrah finds purpose in her love for her Yemeni culture and a desire to separate it from the forms of abuse that Savera UK works to end. She celebrates her culture through her voluntary role as Chair of Liverpool Arab Arts Festival (LAAF), the UK’s longest-running annual Arab arts and culture festival.
Drawing on Forced Marriage 