My Blue Sky uses new technology to deliver a specialist service dedicated to preventing forced marriage in Australia.
Project implemented: November 2015
To prevent forced marriage through awareness raising, specialist legal assistance and referrals to relevant services.
My Blue Sky prevents forced marriage and improves access to justice and safety for vulnerable women and girls.
MBS is conceptualised to increase awareness of the criminalisation of forced marriage and improve access to justice.
Anti-Slavery Australia consults government and community organisations to develop the best content for the website.
MBS launches the website including a section for 7-14 year olds, illustrative stories and safe, tech savvy ways to seek help.
MBS commissions further translation of flyers and parts of the website. Resources are available in 14 community languages.
MBS launches a new digital Hub to consolidate access to current resources, events and projects on forced marriage.
MBS convenes a national conference to explore Australia’s protective and preventative response to forced marriage.
Increase in ongoing representation
Increase in contacts and requests for help
Increase in number of clients getting help to leave forced marriages safely and rebuild their lives
Increased community awareness of forced marriage through training sessions to service providers and community organisations
Increase in attendance and engagement with the NSW Forced Marriage Network, which supports awareness raising and builds collaboration between government and civil society organisations
Using web-based and emerging technology, the My Blue Sky website delivers legal assistance and referral information to any person in, or at risk of, forced marriage.
Vulnerable people can call, email, text or message Anti-Slavery Australia privately for free legal and migration advice through My Blue Sky’s website and social media platforms.
Women and girls are particularly vulnerable to forced marriage and the My Blue Sky website includes relevant content for everyone including children as young as seven years old. This amplifies access to justice by explaining the law and connecting people to available support services.
My Blue Sky also contains useful information and resources for teachers, health professionals and other service providers and is supported by access to e-learning and face-to-face training as well as multi-lingual flyers in 14 different community languages. The My Blue Sky platform is being continuously improved through review and evaluation.