Suffocation

Karma Nirvana is a charity that supports victims of forced marriages and honour based violence. In 2010, the charity partnered with Cosmopolitan to campaign for a national day of remembrance for the victims of honour killings. In January 2015, Cosmopolitan magazine launched a cover in promotion of their campaign. Utilising the plastic bag commonly found around women's magazines, the cover references Shafilea Ahmed, who was suffocated with a plastic bag by her parents in 2003 for refusing an arranged marriage. Launched at the Houses of Parliament, the cover had an enormous impact, and led to Parliament declaring an annual national day of memory on July 14th, Shafilea Ahmed's' Birthday.