Celebrate and Campaign: HBA, Marital Captivity & Housing
About this Event
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.
Date: Tuesday 10th November 2026
Time: 12:30 to 17:30
Location: Northampton Suite University Building, City St George’s, University of London
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.
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.
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.
Where is it happening?
GBP 0.00 to GBP 12.00
