A/HRC/26/22 36. Several States are working to raise awareness in collaboration with religious and civil marriage celebrants, migrant and legal resource centres, domestic violence services, child support agencies, families and community leaders, and women, girls and boys from vulnerable groups.68 Examples include the Government of Zambia, which, in partnership with traditional leaders and civil society organizations, has launched a national campaign to end child marriages. The campaign has stimulated public discussion at village gatherings and several chiefdoms have subsequently banned the practice. In Malaysia, the Minister of Women, Family and Community Development publicly spoke out about the increased trend towards child marriage despite the existence of legislation and pointed out the danger it poses to the health of young girls.69 Canada reported that civil society organizations, particularly immigrant women’s organizations, are providing information about forced marriage alongside other topics, such as girls’ leadership. A number of organizations reported on awareness-raising and sensitization campaigns on the illegality and harmful effects of child, early and forced marriage in conflict situations and humanitarian crisis settings.70 F. Protection measures 37. Various responses highlighted the importance of ensuring appropriate safety and protection measures for victims of child, early and forced marriage, such as specifically designed temporary shelters and making special services available at shelters for victims of violence. Australia, through its Support for Trafficked People Program, is providing support services for suspected victims of forced marriage, including shelters.71 38. As mentioned above, the United Kingdom Civil Protection Act enables victims and third parties to obtain forced marriage protection orders and discussions are under way to criminalize breaches of such orders.72 Switzerland is looking into the possibility of introducing similar protection orders73 and Quebec, Canada, has initiated a study on whether to introduce civil protection orders.74 In 2006, India enacted the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, which enables courts to intervene through stay orders to stop imminent child marriages and impose punitive sanctions. Under this Act, victims have the right to seek annulment of the marriage and may seek redress by claiming financial support from the husband/in-laws until they are remarried.75 39. Measures taken to protect vulnerable witnesses and victims can be instrumental in promoting the prosecution of cases of child, early and forced marriage. Australia, for 68 69 70 71 72 73 75 Submissions from Australia, Switzerland, France and Uzbekistan. Association of Salangor and Kuala Lumpur submission, p. 2. See for example, World Vision “Untying the knot: exploring early marriage in fragile States” (March, 2013), available from: www.worldvision.org/resources.nsf/main/press-reports/$file/Untying-theKnot_report.pdf; J. Schlecht, E. Rowley, J. Babirye, “Early relationships and marriage in conflict and post-conflict settings: vulnerability of youth in Uganda” (note 35). According to UNFPA, “These girls are called ‘famine brides’ in food-insecure Kenya. Young girls were married to ‘tsunami widowers’ in Sri Lanka, Indonesia and India as a way to obtain State subsidies for marrying and starting a family. During the conflicts in Liberia, Uganda and Sudan, girls were abducted and given as ‘bush wives’ to warlords, or even given by their families in exchange for protection”, UNFPA, Marrying Too Young: End Child Marriage (New York, 2012), p. 12. Submission from Australia, p. 3. Southall Black Sisters submission, p. 3. Submission from Switzerland, Rapport du Conseil fédéral à l’intention de l’Assemblée fédérale donnant suite à la motion 09.4229. Save the Children submission, p. 4. 13