World Girl Day! Emmahuasen anti-child marriage: the country must make progress and invest in girls

On the eve of the International Girls ' Day (10/11), Emmahuasen's footprint came to Malawi, a country with the highest rates of child marriages in the world, and is actively promoting the future of girls through legislation reform.

In Malawi, more than half of the girls were early marriages and most of them were too poor to take care of the life, so they chose to send her to another family as a mother. Child marriages thus lead to early pregnancies, a 20至30% pregnancy mortality rate in Malawi, physical violence, and deprivation of educational rights, and most girls are forced to leave school after receiving primary education.

With the efforts of the president and local chiefs, Malawi has spent 12 years passing a new law that would invalidate a marriage between a man and a woman under the age of 18.

Emmahuasen from the podium, real life is still more difficult, she wants to see the real girl situation, in Malawi, she witnessed a turnaround in the current style: through the termination of child marriage, we can let girls and women understand that they can make choices for themselves. (Recommended reading: RAP for Afghan child marriage!) Sonita Alizadeh: I am not silent, there are a group of girls need Me )

Emmahuasen: "Every woman should be able to choose for herself."

"The beautiful village in Malawi is a touching and enlightening experience for me," Emmahuasen said. Look at these young girls, who are trapped in poverty and forced into a vicious circle of child marriage, which makes them unable to be educated in the process of growing up. So I understand how important it is for every woman to make a choice for herself. 」

"By pushing the bill through community forces, we can put an end to bad habits and, with the help of law, make the future a more equal reality." 」

Emmahuasen and Theresa Kachindamoto, who drives the new law, walked side by shoulder, saying she thanked herself for seeing what was happening, "I want to thank HeForShe's President Mutharika let the child marriage issue become our primary focus and thanks to being called" Theresa Kachindamoto, the female chief of child marriage Terminator, who, with the cooperation of other chiefs, terminated at least 1500 child marriages, giving the child a chance to return to school. 」

"The President of Malawi, Mutharika, promised to make child marriage a history of Malawi in the next five years, showing a strong and determined leadership that has turned the corner." How honored I am to be on behalf of the UN Women's office to witness their gender process. 」

The status of child marriages in poor countries: the country must make progress and invest in girls

Malawi is only one country in which child marriages are in bad condition.

According to statistics, in developing countries around the world, including China and India, 1/3 of girls are forced to marry under the age of 18, and early marriages deprive them of their right to childhood and to be educated, while they are forced to bear the physical burden of sexual violence and early pregnancies. (same field Gayon: when does the tragedy of child marriage end?) Afghanistan's 14-year-old pregnant woman burned alive )

This group of "ripening" children, before the body and mind are ready to become a mother, has never been asked whether they want to.

"If a country wants to progress, it must invest in women and girls." Clara Anyangwe, regional representative of the U.N. Women's office, said, "The goal of national sustainability needs to be a focus of women and girls, and gender equality should be the primary task of future development." 」

With the HeForShe ideal, the next step for the UN Women's office is to actively promote the termination of child marriage legislation and policies throughout the world. Concrete act practices, not just to stop the vicious circle of poverty, but also to give girls the right to education they deserve.

"Without a girl's rights, it should be taken for granted." 」

In an effort to push the new law, Kachindamoto, the chief of Malawi, who has faced death threats, said she had seen a 14-year-old girl feeding two children, so she had to take action anyway. (More stories:"I am eight years old, I have a child" the Sad Song of child marriage Little Bride )

She understood that many families had no alternative to poverty, so she persuaded the girl's parents, "if you are willing to invest in your girls and educate girls, you will have a better future, and you can no longer replicate the vicious cycle of poverty." 」

Girl's life story, by herself

The bill is being implemented, and more girls are returning to school on their shoulders as young mothers on the ground in Malawi. From the shackles of child marriage, educated experience, so that they understand the vast world, but also more capable of imagining the future of their own.

It turns out that as a girl, there is not only a predetermined fate for a child to conceive.

The girl named Stella Kalilombe shared with Emmahuasen, who had married at the age of 17 and had been abused by her husband for many years, and had to turn to the original family for help. Encouraged by local women's groups, she returned to school. The identity of the young mother was not easy on campus, encouraged by the local chiefs and mothers ' groups, she completed her studies and was determined to become a teacher in the future, striving to give more girls the right to be educated. (Recommended to you:"the Bride in South Asia" depicting the pain of child marriage: to give them the symbol of happiness wedding yarn )

A girl's tears may be behind the tragedy of a group of girls; and a girl living out of her own story, can inspire another girl's life.

On this day of international Girl Day, we continue to move forward for the rights of girls, may one day we no longer need to repeatedly discuss the sad feelings of child marriage, we no longer need to loudly for the rights of girls to defend, when that day, equality came, may each girl, can proudly tell their life story.

Today is International Girl Day, you, what kind of girl story do you want to tell?

Taiwan Girl Day, want you to respond together!

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