When she thrives, we all thrive
Together this giving season, we can make a difference that ripples outward to benefit everyone.
Throughout the 16 days between the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on the 25th November, and Human Rights Day on the 10th December, thousands of organisations, individuals, and nations are coming together to take action against Gender-Based Violence. CAMFED supports the most marginalized girls in some of the most impoverished and rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa to go to school. Our #UnlockFutures appeal focuses on education as a tool to end child marriage across Africa, a movement that, like the theme of this year’s #16DaysofActivism, aims to leave no one behind.
Child marriage is recognized as a form of gender-based violence by the UN and many governments across the world, and as a violation of human rights.1 It perpetuates other forms of gender-based violence, such as domestic abuse, rape and harmful practices.2 Girls who marry before the age of 18 are more likely to experience physical, sexual, and emotional abuse than those who marry later.3 In Zambia, one of five countries in which CAMFED works, 47 percent of ever-married women age 15-49 report having experienced physical, sexual, and/or emotional violence from their current or most recent husband or partner.4 But this statistic doesn’t take into account girls like Gloria, who entered into marriage and a life of poverty and abuse at the age of 12.
Discrimination against women and deep-rooted gender inequality is at the core of violence against women and girls.5 It is this, combined with poverty, social norms, and a lack of access to education that leads so many girls to be married at a tender age. In turn, child marriage traps girls and their families in a cycle of poverty,6 as girls are less likely to be able to stay in school, access employment opportunities, and have control over the size of their families. All forms of violence against women and girls, including child marriage, are preventable.
As part of our 3-month #UnlockFutures campaign, here is what CAMFED is doing to empower young women and communities to end child marriage:
Be a part of CAMFED’s work to end child marriage – make a donation today
SOURCES:
1. Human Rights and Justice- Girls Not Brides [online]. Available at: https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/themes/human-rights-and-justice/ [Accessed 25/11/2017]
2. Violence Against Girls- Girls Not Brides [online]. Available at: https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/themes/violence-against-girls/ [Accessed 25/11/2017]
3. Child protection from violence, exploitation and abuse – UNICEF.org [online]. Available at: https://www.unicef.org/protection/57929_58008.html [Accessed 25/11/2017]
4. Demographic and Health Survey: Zambia 2013-14 (USAID, UNICEF, UNFPA, CDC) [online] Available at: https://www.dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR304/FR304.pdf [Accessed 25/11/2017]
5. Child marriage: Overview- UNFPA [online]. Available at: https://www.unfpa.org/child-marriage [Accessed 25/11/2017]
Melissa K Goodwill $52.9
Gladys Ayala $1052
Gabi Rizzuto $100
Linda Penn $100
Julia Pistor $31.9
John Dickinson $100
Chris Parrish $37.1
Sheila Eswaran $211
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