I have been appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the King’s Birthday Honours. It is not something I expected, and I want to mark it honestly.
The honour reflects work on violence against women and girls, honour-based abuse, and forced marriage. That work has never been mine alone. It belongs to the survivors who trusted us with their stories, often at real cost to themselves, and to the colleagues who show up every day to stand beside them.
When I founded the Halo Project in 2011, the need was clear. Black and minoritised survivors of forced marriage, honour-based abuse, and female genital mutilation were being let down by services that were never designed with them in mind. We set out to change that, case by case and family by family. A great deal has shifted since then, though there is still a long way to go.
I think today of the women and girls who did not get the protection they deserved, and of the families still waiting for it. I will carry this recognition as encouragement to keep going.
My thanks go to the Halo team, to the partners and officials willing to listen and to act, and to my family, whose patience has made the work possible.
Yasmin
Founder and Chief Officer of the Halo Project. Former National Advisor on Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence to the Welsh Government, 2018–2026.
