Aneeta Prem founded Freedom Charity in 2009 with Lord Toby Harris. The charity works to protect children, young people and adults at risk from forced marriage, FGM, virginity testing, modern slavery and other forms of dishonour abuse.
Freedom Charity has donated more than 100,000 copies of Aneeta’s safeguarding novels, But It’s Not Fair and Cut Flowers, to schools, young people, professionals and community organisations. Aneeta has also appeared across major television and radio networks, including BBC News, Newsnight, Panorama, Sky News and BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, speaking about forced marriage, FGM, modern slavery and safeguarding.
Aneeta has advised ministers, contributed expert evidence to select committees and worked with government departments, including the Home Office and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, on forced marriage, safeguarding and policy development. Her work continues to focus on prevention, early intervention and protecting those whose voices are too often unheard.
Aneeta Prem has long challenged the language used around so-called “honour” violence. She uses the term “dishonour abuse” because there is no honour in forced marriage, female genital mutilation, coercion or control. The word places responsibility where it belongs: on those who cause harm, not on victims or survivors. Aneeta also created Freedom Charity’s Not in My Name campaign, encouraging boys and men to reject abuse carried out in the name of family, culture or reputation. Through campaigns including #SupportDonateEradicate, Freedom Charity has continued to turn public awareness into visible action. On 6 February 2017, the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, Aneeta launched the Red Triangle badge as Freedom Charity’s symbol against FGM and dishonour abuse. The campaign was launched nationally with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and gave supporters a clear, visible way to stand with girls at risk and survivors. FGM is a serious human rights violation and safeguarding issue. Prevention, education and early intervention are essential. Supporters can buy the Red Triangle badge through the Freedom Charity shop and help fund the charity’s work.
In June 2014, forced marriage became a criminal offence in England and Wales under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate legal frameworks. Aneeta Prem was among the campaigners who pressed for stronger protection and helped move forced marriage from a hidden safeguarding issue into public policy and criminal law. The Health and Care Act 2022 introduced offences relating to virginity testing and hymenoplasty in England and Wales. In February 2023, the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 came into force in England and Wales, raising the minimum age of marriage and civil partnership to 18 and strengthening protection against child marriage. Aneeta has spent many years raising awareness of forced marriage, FGM, virginity testing, hymenoplasty and child marriage. In 2021, she addressed the Oxford Union on these issues. Her speech can be watched at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-uwkBqDlkI
The first significant case of modern day slavery rescue was undertaken in conjunction with the police and Freedom Charity. It involved the rescue of three women who had claimed to have been held in slavery for decades. https://youtu.be/rBSN8kYSLiM?feature=shared
Pioneering the use of technology, the Freedom Charity App launched (that now has over 250,000 downloads) to guide and advise victims and non-victims alike, as well as for reference by police, border force and health care professionals. Watch the launch video for the Freedom Charity app here https://youtu.be/_RWfbmGq4e0?feature=shared
Aneeta has been a primary point of contact for people who have reached out for help to be rescued, both in the UK and from overseas. She has maintained contact and liaised with other agencies regarding how to safely remove someone from their situation. She organises identity change and safe places to live and rehabilitate. These actions have undoubtedly saved lives.
Aneeta has written two safeguarding novels for children and young people aged nine and over. Both are supported by lesson plans designed for PSHE teaching. Their purpose is to help young people recognise warning signs, support friends and seek trusted help. Her first novel, But It’s Not Fair, draws on her experience supporting children at risk of forced marriage and dishonour abuse, as well as her work with government, the police, survivors and her experience as a magistrate.
The story is written from the view of a young British girl, Vinny, whose friend almost becomes a victim of Forced Marriage. The book is presented in a chatty and easy-to-read style, but it carries some powerful messages. It not only raises awareness of Forced Marriage and highlights some of the key signs to be aware of, but it also suggests courses of action that could help potential victims. Freedom Charity distributes copies of "But It's Not Fair" free to schools, alongside lesson plans for teachers.
"Cut Flowers", Aneeta’s second novel, is about female genital mutilation (FGM). Katie and Sophia are just two ordinary girls eagerly awaiting the summer holidays until their teacher, Miss Adams, gives them their summer homework – to prepare a presentation about what they did over the holidays. Little did they know that it would be the start of a lifelong mission to protect young girls all over the world. When Katie finally returns from Africa, she needs all of Sophia’s support and creative flair to shine a spotlight on something that’s affecting millions of girls worldwide, but that no one seems to want to talk about. The book has PSHE Association lesson plans to accompany it.
Aneeta travels throughout the country delivering inspiring and thought-provoking sessions to students in schools, colleges and universities on subjects which also include child abuse, trafficking, and radicalisation. She has delivered sessions to children as young as eight, ensuring that the material is delivered at an appropriate level. Older children have been moved to tears by the subject but have left motivated to make change and ensure human rights violations are eradicated. She has donated tens of thousands of copies of her novels to these students, often finding that these are the first books some children have ever owned. Raised awareness amongst readers of signs of FGM and forced marriage has resulted in planned events being stopped. These books have saved, and will continue to save, lives.
“The work of charities like Freedom is helping to ensure no one has to live in fear of FGM. Education is vital to stamping out this abhorrent practice and these resources will help schools looking to tackle these issues and protect their pupils at a critical point in the year."
– Nicky Morgan, former secretary of State for Education (2019/20)
Visit the Freedom Charity shop to buy Aneeta’s books https://freedomcharity.org.uk/shop
