National Working group Mudawwanah

Ken uw rechten2 Situation in The Netherlands on HRV and FM National Policy HRV and FM: on the political national agenda since 2003; thanks to migrant (women) organizations and NGO’s Interdepartmental Program on HRV Cooperation between ministries of Justice, Healthcare and Welfare, Housing, Communities and Integration. Aim: integration of the approach of HRV in the general approach of Domestic Violence Activities: Definition, research, pilots at the police, trainings of professionals, prevention and debates in the affected communities, etc. From 2011: No special policy on HRV, only on FM. National policy decentralized to local policy, Less prevention towards more repression, Less specific measures for certain groups to generic policy.

Ken uw rechten3 National situation on HRV and FM Several activities of NGO’s and grass root organizations: Shelters for girls and young women Support for LGBT (Safe Haven) “If I were her ….’ / If I were him …’ ‘At the good side of honour’ RespectEER YourRight2Choose campaign Changemakers against HRV …………

Ken uw rechten 4 Introduction Dutch Working Groep Mudawwanah Origin of WGM: 2000 * Legal position women and children (Moroccan/Dutch family law and right of residence) * Amendments Mudawwanah 2004 * Complex problem and implementation legislation - Netherlands/Morocco * Abandonment women and children exposed by SSR and Dutch women’s groups and ministries. Members working group Participation organizations/ministries

Ken uw rechten5 National working group Mudawwanah Key WGM targets - Better legal position w/m/c through education on legislation, rights, awareness and empowerment - Stimulating personal responsibility and enhancing emancipation and participation - Change of mentality/traditions w/m/y - Preventing violence - Improve social legal support - Strong network, national and international collaboration Know your rights = emancipation dynamo

Ken uw rechten6 National working group Mudawwanah Forms of violence interconnect Abandonment of women, children, young people and sometimes men: involuntary abandonment in country of origin without legal documents. Forced marriage Between free choice of partner and explicit forced marriages there is a large grey area of ‘implicit coercion’ Domestic violence Violence committed by a relative of the victim. Physical, sexual abuse, harassment and threatening. Honor related violence Any form of mental or physical violence in reaction to a (threat of) violation of a man or women’s honor, and thus of the family, which is either revealed or at risk of being revealed to the community. Female genital mutilation ‘Harmful traditional practices’

Ken uw rechten7 National working group Mudawwanah Free choice or abandonment? Abandonment = form of violence and violation of human rights Victims: women, young people, children, men (figures) Which countries, occurrence? Reasons for (threat of) abandonment: parenting/marriage/family problems, authority, arranged marriage, economical motives/remigration Effects of abandonment (Bartels) Advice: Research 2005, Advisory board Alien Affairs

Ken uw rechten 8 National working group Mudawwanah - Project Information campaign Legal position and Abandonment: Moroccan /Turkish women, men, young people: soc/legal support Part 1. Developing information materials Mudawwanah Moroccan working groups (2000) Part 2. Additional tools and information on abandonment (2005) Part 3. Final part information campaign (2009) Moroccan/Turkish/Dutch family law, partner choice, right of residence and abandonment Target groups: Moroccan, Turkish/Kurdish w/m/y, self-organizations Professionals: care workers/lawyers

Ken uw rechten9 National working group Mudawwanah Activities: Agendizing legal status Developing information materials Training educators: Moroccan and Turkish/ Kurdish women/men Information meetings in all regions with grass root/affected communities, widespread Training professionals, volunteers, self organizations: seminars Implementation of activities, collaborations and building networks Lobby with politicians and policy makers

Ken uw rechten10 National working group Mudawwanah Moroccan, Turkish, Dutch family/personal law, alien law and nationality Free choice of partner to forced marriage Dutch, Turkish and Moroccan marriages: procedures, recognition, conditions, bride price, registration Informal marriages (religious marriage) Divorce, recognitions, authority and care, alimony and dividing possessions, registration Child rights in different systems – nationality Dutch residency: rights and duties

Ken uw rechten11 National working group Mudawwanah Abandonment and action Abandonment (and abduction) always calls for action Education, information, identification and reporting in the Netherlands and the original homeland Prevention, support line (phone) and follow up care: customized action! Collaboration support parties, intermediaries, measures and return procedures. Abandonment and right of residence: legal support to enable return of women and children. National and international policy, agreements and collaboration– also see LEC

Ken uw rechten12 National working group Mudawwanah and Remigrants support SSR and project Abandonment: Reporting stations Morocco and Netherlands Care: shelter and aid to return in Morocco and Netherlands – Chain partners Education and prevention Network reporting stations Collaborations organizations and researchers Morocco /Netherlands Lobby: ministries, politicians, commissions, embassies, policy makers Expert meetings care workers/lawyers Bilateral/international network!

Thank you! Saniye Tezcan More information: Stichting Kezban ph: