Forced wedding
This is how young women can protect themselves

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Feminism news: Spoon in your underpants protects against forced marriage.
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October 1, 2024
This trick is intended to protect against forced marriage
On social media, users are asked to share videos with the hashtag #Spoontrick in order to protect girls and young women in particular from forced marriages. For those who are sent abroad against their will to be married off by their families, and who are sometimes even detained beforehand, airport security can be the last chance to escape the horror.
The women should stick a spoon in their underwear and draw attention to themselves. The spoon triggers an alarm during the security check, which allows the person to ask for help during the subsequent search. Both the airport staff and the federal police are aware of the signal and encourage those affected to contact them.
The spoon in the underpants
Nevertheless, “The tip that you stick a spoon in your underwear is only intended for an absolute emergency, if you actually have no opportunity to seek help beforehand because, for example, you were locked up before departure,” says Myria Böhmecke from the “Terre Des Femmes” association opposite RTL. If you suspect something, it is better to tell someone you trust sooner or to contact a professional advice center, says Böhmecke.
In Germany – as in many other countries – forced marriage is prohibited. This is why it often happens that minors are lured under a hypocritical pretext or even kidnapped abroad. In many cases it is almost impossible to resist such a forced marriage, which is why women’s rights activists continually think about ways to help those affected.