Mayer Brown LLP and Caterpillar Inc. to be honored for extensive pro bono research into conditions for individuals from the United States facing forced marriage overseas
Tahirih Justice Center is proud to announce that Mayer Brown LLP and Caterpillar Inc. will be honored as Corporate Partners of the Year during the non-profit’s 18th Annual Gala, “Saving Lives, Celebrating Courage,” in recognition of their exemplary service in the fight against forced marriage in the United States.
In partnership with Tahirih’s Forced Marriage Initiative, Mayer Brown LLP and Caterpillar Inc. completed an extensive pro bono research project in 2014 about conditions for individuals from the United States facing forced marriage overseas.
The research is now available online as an interactive map at PreventForcedMarriage.org, the first and only U.S.-based website exclusively dedicated to providing lifesaving resources and information for forced marriage survivors and advocates across the United States. The website launched in February 2015.
“As members of the global community, we recognize forced marriage as a pernicious global problem that threatens the freedom, safety, health, and education of women and girls around the world. We are proud to partner with Tahirih Justice Center, a pioneer in the fight to end forced marriage in the U.S., to examine the risks and resources facing girls and women who reside in the U.S. but may be facing a forced marriage overseas,” said Marc Kadish, Director of Pro Bono Activities and Litigation Training at Mayer Brown LLP.
Forced marriage—defined as a marriage that takes place without the full and free consent of one or both parties—is a human rights violation that impacts communities around the world. It can happen to a person of any race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, or national origin, and it is a problem in the United States.
“Forced marriage in the United States takes many forms. Sometimes, people living in the United States are taken overseas to experience forced marriages. Individuals may be tricked or coerced into traveling overseas, or may go abroad to visit family, only to find themselves the target of a forced marriage,” said Heather Heiman, Forced Marriage Initiative Project Manager at Tahirih.
Mayer Brown LLP and Caterpillar Inc. will be presented with their Corporate Partner of the Year awards on Tuesday, April 14 at Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC.
PRESS CONTACT: Marlena Hartz, Communications Manager, 571-282-6193, [email protected]
