Red Cross understands that coercive control is an issue of humanitarian concern which significantly impacts and affects people, families and communities living in Australia. A key priority of Red Cross is to assist people made vulnerable through the process of migration, including people who have been trafficked, or who are, or may be, forced into marriage.
In Red Cross’ experience, instances of modern slavery, including forced marriage, exit trafficking and sexual and labour exploitation in a personal setting, often occur in the context of family violence and therefore it is important to recognise and understand the intersection between family violence and modern slavery and coercive control and its impact in these contexts. For victim/survivors of forced marriage mostly young people, coercive control might present in different forms such as denial of education, restricted movements, monitored communication, reproduction coercion, with long-term impacts. Due to its nature and coercive context, forced marriage is often hidden in plain sight and goes undetected, therefore identifying and responding safely and timely is critical to reduce risk of further harm for victim/survivors.
In my proposed presentation, I will discuss coercive control and its impact on victim/survivors of family violence and modern slavery with specific references to forced marriage and individuals residing in Australia on temporary visas experiencing family violence. The significance of victim/survivor centred responses that consider the diversity of lived experience will be emphasised. Strengths and limitations in systemic responses will be highlighted. Recommendations, for intersectoral collaboration and partnerships and the importance of holistic integrated responses will be highlighted and the significance of prevention models that focus on identifying and strengthening community-led strategies as well as education and awareness raising. I will share our learnings from engaging with communities who self-identified they were affected by forced marriage.