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Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Bill [HL]

My noble friend makes a good point and one which I always labour. We must not allow the notion to exist that difficult decisions taken within cultural or religious contexts must be hidden or that difficult issues cannot be discussed within a community. If these issues were discussed, they would not be demonised. I hope that these discussions will enable Asian, African and Jewish women, or women of whatever culture or religion, to gain ownership of some of these problems and to discuss them openly. A victim should not feel that he or she is unable to discuss these problems with members of their own community or with their peers. We need to send out a clear and categorical message that this is not acceptable behaviour. Young people should be able to raise these issues with whoever they feel comfortable with. Such matters should not be demonised or enclosed in a little box and discussed separately, as has been the case with domestic violence, child sexual abuse, incest and many other complicated issues. We have arrived at the point where we should be able to raise these issues with parents, even very harsh parents. We need to empower young people to speak out and say that certain practices are wrong. They should have the ability and the right to raise these issues with whoever they wish without feeling subject to cultural constraint.