Ilkley (UK), September 2015 - A forced marriage is one in which one or both of the future spouses do not consent, and pressure or abuse is exercised until the objection is overcome by one means or another. Approximately 8,000 to 10,000 British citizens are coerced into such marriages every year although the practice is now illegal in the UK, and the first prosecutions have taken place.
To support professionals who deal with the issue of forced marriage in the course of their work and seek to quickly improve general awareness of the topic, the government has commissioned online-learning specialist Virtual College to produce a new eLearning package.
Virtual College worked closely with the Forced Marriage Unit (FMU), a joint Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Home Office unit, to create the free online course, which raises awareness, challenges perceptions, and provides advice on the correct actions to take.
A resource pack is also available to help organisations promote this important course and spread awareness.
Judith Clarkson, Divisional Director of Virtual College, commented, "Online learning provides a powerful means of communicating to a wide audience - rapidly and cost effectively. In the first 48 hours of launching this course over 1,000 professionals registered."
"Last year, we worked with the Home Office to produce online resources about female genital mutilation (FGM). This has already resulted in over 30,000 people accessing the course and resources."
The forced marriage course is one in a series of Vocational Online Open Courses (VOOC®s) produced by Virtual College.
