Having courage to care
I am convinced that there is no mother or father on this earth who doesn't want the best for their child. [...] I must also stress that no major religion promotes the practice of child marriage. Child marriage is a traditional practice that happens today simply because that is the way things have been done for many generations. [...] We want to encourage men and boys to stand up for their daughters' and sisters' rights. Community leaders and religious leaders, fathers and brothers can all join the effort to end child marriage.
-Desmond Tutu, 2012
How you can help
Your actions to end child marriage can be personal or a group effort. Raising money is not the only way to help! Simply making other people aware of child marriage is enough. Remember to stick to one or two actions to make them the best they can be- and think outside the box! Here are some ideas to get you thinking:
- On 11th October, it's the International Day of the Girl! There's no better day to hold fundraisers to promote respect and equality for girls and women everywhere. Good fundraisers include the Do It In a Dress challenge, fun runs and bake sales- the list goes on.
- You could start a petition in your local community- if you get enough signatures, you could give it to your local MP, saying that you won't stand for child marriage or any form or violence towards women and girls.
- If you've brave, you could host a talk or presentation addressing child marriage at your school assembly.
- Everyone loves auctions or raffles!
- Take part in Skype conferences with a girl in Niger who lives with child marriage on an everyday basis, whether she's a child bride herself or knows someone who is- it'll be a rewarding experience for you both.
- School poster competitions will increase knowledge of child marriage in your school, and in turn promote awareness in the wider community.
- Sponsored silences- child brides do not get the opportunity to speak up for themselves. So why don't you experience that silence for yourself?
- Poster campaigns will help others learn more, which is often more effective than just raising money. Even if you're not the artistic type- that's what technology's for, right?
- If you have a social media account, share a post from Girls Not Brides or other great organisations that promote awareness of child marriage. At the simple click of a button, you could be making a difference in the life of a girl in need!
“It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.”
― Mother Teresa
My Personal Action Plan
For my action plan, I have decided that the most effective way of stopping child marriage is to promote awareness of it- whether it's my friends, family, school or community, the more people I speak to, the bigger a difference I can make. As each action will take time and energy, I have selected only three actions to dedicate my efforts to. With this in mind, I will:
- Speak out about child marriage with two of my friends at the next school assembly. The more people we can make aware of this devastating issue, the better.
- Write an article for the school magazine. It is read by every student in my school, and by their parents in turn. I will also be making posters which I intend to put up in my school and the wider community.
- Make African fabric dolls which I can sell at local markets, fairs and school fetes to symbolise the innocence of the young girls who are given the huge responsibility of being wives and mothers when they should still be playing in the school yard . I will give an information leaflet with each purchase to educate the customers about the cause.