Aruna Papp: A welcome new law to help prevent forced marriages

While I disagree with Papp on her characterization of Canadian multiculturalism and her support for the Bill (existing Canadian laws largely adequate), Papp is right on the need for better training and a more open discussion of the issues, primarily within affected communities, to help change the culture.

While there is a role for the Government and others in this discussion, the hectoring tone of the Zero Tolerance for Barbaric Cultural Practices Act and other rhetoric is unlikely to foster such an open discussion within the communities concerned:

Many Canadian activists for female victims of abuse shy away from challenging immigrant communities about the influence that tradition and cultural values has on domestic violence. The ideology of multiculturalism and tolerance tends to preclude any discussion of the cultural practices that rob women of their basic human rights. It is much simpler and safer to blame the abuse of women in immigrant communities on settlement issues, the Canadian government, the indifference of service providers — rather than challenging the values and traditions that need to be changed within those communities.

The next step is to provide unified training for frontline professionals such as police, social workers and health care professionals

The government’s Zero Tolerance for Barbaric Cultural Practices Act is the first step in recognizing that such pathologies exist in Canada; and that, as a nation, we need to have an open and frank discussion on this issue.

The next step is to provide unified training for frontline professionals such as police, social workers and health care professionals. At present, there are no shelters in Canada that are capable of properly dealing with victims of honour-based violence. A flawed intake can result in an incomplete or incorrect risk assessment, which can lead to an inadequate safety plan and even exposure to fatal violence.

This lack of training among frontline workers must be remedied in order to ensure that the impetus urged by this new bill can be applied directly to those who are victims of barbaric cultural practices that cannot be tolerated in our country.

Aruna Papp: A welcome new law to help prevent forced marriages