When Payzee Mahmod was 16, she was forced to marry a man twice her age. She grew up in the UK and her family was from a tight-knit Kurdish community where strict traditions of so-called ‘honour’ played a central part in their lives. So when Banaz – Payzee’s beloved older sister who had also been forced into child marriage – left her husband and started a relationship with a man of her choice, the family thought she had 'shamed' them. The consequences would be tragic and horrific.

Payzee is now an activist and at the forefront of a campaign to end child marriage in England and Wales.

If you've been affected by any of the issues in this episode, you can find information about where to get help and support at Befrienders Worldwide or through BBC Action Line.

Presenter: Sahar Zand

Producer: Maryam Maruf

Get in touch: [email protected]

(Photo: Payzee [L] and Banaz Mahmod [R] before their marriages. Credit: Courtesy of Payzee Mahmod)