Join our three expert panellists for a Q&A following a pre-recorded panel discussion on the connections between forced marriage and climate.

About this event

Research, particularly focusing on South Asia and East Africa, shows interesting links between different types of extreme weather events (e.g. floods, landslides and droughts) and increasing rates of forced marriage.

As climate change makes these extreme weather events more frequent, and more severe, this link puts in further jeopardy the global community’s goal of ending forced marriage by 2030.

Better understanding of the links, however, could contribute to better, more sustainable efforts and interventions aimed at ending forced marriage, and at improved disaster-relief efforts which take into account the potential link to forced marriage.

Some research also shows that forced marriages are less likely as a response to extreme weather – the reasons for this are also vital to understand as we look to end forced marriage by 2030, and to combat climate change and its effects.

Dr Helen McCabe leads the work on forced marriage at the Rights Lab, a University of Nottingham Beacon of Research Excellence. Dr Jess Sparks leads the Eco-Systems and Environment Programme at the Rights Lab. Dr Bethany Jackson is leading research in anti-slavery social-ecological systems modelling within the Eco-Systems and Environment Programme. They are currently working together on a Templeton World Charity Foundation funded grant looking at the impact of natural hazards on human trafficking in The Bahamas.

Code of Conduct: Everyone is welcome, and all views and perspectives will be respected and valued in the session.

This event is part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2021 and was made possible thanks to funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), which is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).