Celebrate and Campaign: HBA, Marital Captivity & Housing

Date: Tuesday 10th November 2026

Time: 12:30 to 17:30

Location: Northampton Suite University Building, City St George’s, University of London

Attendance: If you no longer wish to attend this event, please cancel on Eventbrite 24 hours before the event. If you do not attend without cancelling beforehand you may be charged a £10 fine

The statutory definition of honour-based abuse (HBA) is a significant milestone, achieved through advocacy, survivor testimony, and cross-sector collaboration. This conference brings together the organisations and individuals who contributed to that change, to mark what has been won and to reflect on what it means in practice for the communities we work with.

Alongside celebrating the HBA statutory definition, we will discuss our ongoing campaigns that aim to drive change. This conference focuses on two live campaigns: marital captivity, where individuals are trapped in marriages and unable to leave, and the lack of safe housing for those escaping HBA. Through presentations, case studies, and open discussion, attendees will have the opportunity to contribute directly to both campaigns. We welcome partners and practitioners working across the violence against women and girls sector to reflect on what has been achieved, contribute to the campaigns ahead, and strengthen the partnerships that make change possible.

Speakers

Diana Nammi

Diana has been a political and human rights activist during the Shah’s regime and the Islamic regime in Iran and spent 12 years as a Kurdish freedom fighter against the Islamic Regime. In 2002, she founded IKWRO - Women’s Rights Organisation advocating for women and girls from MENA communities affected by so called “honour” based abuse, forced marriage, FGM and domestic violence. As CEO, successes include bringing “honour” based abuse to be considered as a form of violence against women and girls in the UK and beyond, of “the ‘Justice for Banaz’ campaign, resulting in the extradition of two of the perpetrators of the “honour” killing, the criminalisation of forced marriage and first national review of policing of HBA.

Panel 1:

Payzee Mahmod

Payzee is an IKWRO Trustee, a global survivor-advocate, and Intervention Lead at Lasting Support. Her advocacy has helped secure major UK legislative reform, including raising the minimum marriage age, criminalising virginity testing and hymenoplasty. Her TEDx talk has over one million views, and she has spoken at the UN, UK Parliament, and the House of Lords. Payzee is an Obama Leader and Nelson Mandela Foundation Social Justice Programme Graduate.

Natasha Rattu

Natasha is the Executive Director of Karma Nirvana, leading national efforts to end HBA in the UK. A qualified barrister, Natasha has worked in the VAWG sector for nearly two decades, combining frontline experience with policy leadership. She was instrumental in the successful campaign to raise the legal age of marriage to 18 in England and Wales, and leads the #Push4Change campaign advocating for a statutory definition of HBA. Natasha developed the national HBA police risk assessment tool, which has now been rolled out to over 25 police forces across England and Wales. Her achievements have earned her national recognition, including the Crown Prosecution Service Scholarship, and the Super Achiever Pitman ‘Boss of the Year’ Award. Natasha continues to be a driving force in shaping national policy, improving safeguarding practices, and ensuring survivor voices remain at the heart of reform.

Hannah Sereni

Hannah Sereni – ‘Honour’-Based Abuse and Stalking Policy Lead, Home Office. Hannah heads up the team responsible for national policy on ‘honour’-based abuse and stalking. A civil servant for 8 years, Hannah has worked on policies such as drugs misuse, maternal mental health and serious and organised crime.

Naomi Wisemen

Naomi Wiseman is a specialist family barrister with a diverse portfolio of public, private and international children law cases. She was instrumental in the campaign to raise the minimum age of marriage to 18 and end child marriage in England and Wales (Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022. Naomi has been published in the Family Law Journal with articles on FGM, forced and child marriage and revocation of adoption and in the International Family Law Journal focussing on the use of the wardship jurisdiction for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children

Panel 2:

Nasima Abukar

Nasima is Campaigns and Communications Manager at IKWRO – Women’s Rights Organisation. She leads advocacy and public campaigns to end harmful practices including “honour”-based abuse, forced marriage, FGM, and marital captivity. A researcher specialising in harmful practices across MENA, East Africa, and diaspora communities, she has over eight years’ experience working with women, girls, and marginalised groups in the UK and internationally. Nasima holds an MSc in Violence, Conflict and International Development from SOAS and is committed to decolonial and anti-racist approaches that amplify excluded voices.

Yehudis Fletcher

Yehudis is the co-founder and CEO of Nahamu, the UK’s only independent think tank addressing ideologically motivated harms within Charedi Jewish communities. She works with faith leaders, community organisations, and policymakers across central and local government to improve understanding and engagement on issues including forced marriage, education, and bodily autonomy. Yehudis is an author, speaker, and recognised thought leader on safeguarding internal minorities within religious communities. Her Phd research on theology as context for abuse is co-supervised by the Global Centre for Contextual Safeguarding and the Centre for Catholic Studies, both at Durham University.

Sulema Jahangir

Sulema has extensive experience of many aspects of domestic and international family law including child abduction, wardship, child arrangements orders, international relocation of children, jurisdictional disputes and the financial consequences of divorce and separation. She also acts for the victims of forced marriages, abandoned spouses and honour-based violence. Sulema is recognised for her expertise in complex domestic and international family law cases and has been described in the directories as “the go-to solicitor for vulnerable clients abroad”; “the most experienced person in the country in stranded spouse cases and forced marriages” and as having “exemplary experience of cross-border family cases.”Sulema was part of a team who assisted in drafting additions to Practice Direction 12J of the Family Procedure Rules to include transnational marriage abandonment as a form of domestic abuse in 2016. Her successful findings in a case representing an abandoned spouse led to a landmark immigration case, AM v SSHD [2022] EWHC 2591, as a result of which the Home Office introduced a route for victims of transnational marriage abandonment to return to the UK.

Forward

FORWARD is a UK-based African women-led organization working to end female genital mutilation (FGM), child marriage and other forms of violence against women and girls. We provide specialist support, advocacy, community outreach, awareness sessions and training to empower women and girls and promote their rights and wellbeing.

Panel 3:

Ghenwa Al Shoumari

Ghenwa is a Syrian peacebuilding and humanitarian consultant, human rights defender, and PhD candidate in International Relations and Conflict Resolution at the University of Kent, UK. Her journey into peacebuilding began in 2013 when she co-founded the "Syrian Peace Building Network" during the Syrian conflict, focusing on promoting peace and conflict resolution. Later, she worked with "Responding to Conflict" (RTC) in Lebanon, where she helped improve the lives of refugees. Ghenwa was also elected as a board member of the Syrian Women’s Political Movement (SWPM), actively engaging in feminist advocacy and human rights campaigns. Currently based in London, she serves as a Campaign Co-Manager at IKWRO, where she advocates for the rights of women and girls to live free from violence.

Cat Linton, Policy Officer, Hibiscus Initative

Cat Linton works in policy for Hibiscus, an organisation supporting black and minoritised migrant women in contact with the criminal justice and immigration systems. She is also an independent domestic violence advocate, specialising in working with victims with no recourse to public funds.

Mark Dowse, National SBD Sanctuary Scheme Lead

Mark Dowse created the Sanctuary Scheme in 1998 and has since led its development as a safeguarding approach to improving safety for victim-survivors of domestic abuse and their children. The scheme enables those at risk, who no longer live with the perpetrator, to remain safely in their homes and communities, preserving vital support networks and greater choice over their future. The Secured by Design Sanctuary Scheme combines enhanced security measures, including safe rooms where appropriate to the assessed risk, to provide layered protection while supporting effective multi-agency partnership working. Over 28 years, Mark has supported its national adoption, contributing to recognition within the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, the Whole Housing Approach Toolkit and the College of Policing Authorised Professional Practice. He authored the Secured by Design Sanctuary Scheme Installation Manual and is now working with IKWRO to explore how the scheme can contribute to safeguarding responses to “honour”-based abuse.

Event venue

City St George's, University of London, Northampton Square, London, United Kingdom

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