Worldwide more than 700 million women alive today were married before their 18th birthday. More than one in three (about 250 million) entered into the union before age 15.

*United Nations Children’s Fund, Ending Child Marriage: Progress and Prospects, UNICEF, New York, 2014.

Child, early and forced marriage is clearly a significant
issue for women and girls. This harmful practice places them at risk of abuse,
discrimination and oppression. To overcome this challenge would be a huge step
forward and that is why it is currently proposed that a goal on eradicating
enforced marriage is included in the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

Goal 5.3 reads: ‘Eliminate all harmful practices, such as
child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation.’

Soroptimist International supports this goal, recognising
the role it can play in the empowerment of women and girls. However, even if it
is included in the new development agenda, it is important that Soroptimists
continue to raise awareness of this harmful practice in their communities –
this is a crucial element of advocating for the needs of women and girls
everywhere.

Without continuously campaigning and educating people about
these issues, they can, unfortunately, be forgotten. The victims and survivors
of these harmful practices should never be forgotten. This is what the
excellent project work of Soroptimists does, directly contributing to the eradication of child, early and enforced marriage. Soroptimist International UN
Representatives then use this project work to advocate at the UN, and give a
global voice to the women and girls Soroptimists work with.

"Early and forced marriage is a violation of human rights
that destroys girls’ childhoods and women’s lives. It has to end. With your
help we can end child marriage and forced marriage within a generation, by
2030".*Source: Plan International

 

International Day of The Girl Child

In 2011, a United Nations resolution established 11 October as the
International Day of the Girl Child (IDGC), a day designated for
promoting the rights of girls and addressing the unique challenges they
face. The inaugural day in 2012 focused
on the issue of ending child marriage.

 
 

It’s a Girl Thing Plan International 

 

No Way Out – Child Marriage and Human Rights Abuses in Tanzania

In October this year Human Rights Watch produced a 75-page report documenting how child marriage impacts on a girls’
access to education, and exposes them to exploitation and violence.The report looks at how child marriage impacts on access to education, and
exposes girls to health risks, violence and exploitation. Marital rape and (FGM). Human
Rights Watch looked specifically at "the gaps in Tanzania’s child protection system,
the lack of protection for victims of child marriage, and the obstacles
girls face in attempting to obtain redress, as well as shortcomings in
existing laws and government plans to combat child marriage".

Click on the image above to access the report 

Download the summary and recommendations: photo feature

"Ending child marriage will help break the intergenerational
cycle of poverty by allowing girls and women to participate more fully in society. Empowered and educated girls are better able to nourish and care for their children, leading to healthier, smaller families. When girls are allowed to be girls, everybody wins".

Source: United Nations Children’s Fund, Ending Child Marriage:
Progress and prospects, UNICEF, New York, 201

 

UN Resolution 21 November 2014

The UN Resolution on Child, Early and Forced Marriage was
adopted on 21 November with the broad-based, cross-regional
co-sponsorship of 116 countries.  It was introduced and led by the
Governments of Canada and Zambia. It builds on last year’s resolutions
in the General Assembly and Human Rights Council, which were procedural
resolutions calling for reports and further consideration of the issue.
UN resolutions are always important in setting global norms, so this is a
firm statement from the international community that child marriage
will not if we’re to ensure equality and reduce global poverty.

The resolution recognises that child, early and forced marriage:

• Is a practice that severely impairs girls and women’s human rights
  and is a threat to their health, education, economic and social status;
• Is inherently linked to deep-rooted gender inequalities, norms and stereotypes; and,
• Is itself a barrier to development and helps to perpetuate the cycle of poverty.

More importantly, it’s the first time that countries have agreed on
the steps that they – and partners in international organizations and
civil society – should be taking to address the problem, including, inter alia:

• Enact, enforce and uphold laws and policies to end the practice;
• Develop and implement holistic, comprehensive and coordinated
  responses and strategies in cooperation with stakeholders, including
  civil society; and
• Promote and protect the human rights of all women and girls,
  including their right to education and to have control over and decide
  freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality.

The resolution also encourages continued UN action on the issue and
specifically recognizes the need to include clear commitments to child,
early and forced marriage in the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

 
Source: 

From a statement by Girls Not Brides Read full statement here.

 

Pick of the Projects 

SI Gravesend and District, United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland, Forced Marriages and Honour based killings.

In an ongoing project partnered with Northfleet School for
Girls, who produced the posters and location for the event. Sponsored by
Gravesham Borough Council and Kent CAN, SI Gravesend aimed to make women and girls
and other organisations aware of the problems caused by Forced Marriages. To
sign post access to Agencies that can provide help and support. To stimulate
interest in ongoing community awareness raising on the subject. To make aware
of the size of the problems caused by Forced Marriage.

 

SI Gravesend and District held an awareness day with speakers on the subject including
Jasvinder Sanghera CBE – founder of Karma Nirvana and Steve Evans from Forced
Marriage Unit. Other organisations and aencies mounted displays with
information of signposting and support. 84 delegates attended, which included
the Mayor, Councillors, social workers from both Gravesham and Medway Council,
Police, Women’s Refuge, Rethink, schools, members from the Churches and members
of the public. The event led to greater awareness and learning of the subject
of forced marriage; information about how and where to report incidents; learning
about new legislation and lobbying and increased interest in the subject within
schools and amongst young people.

SI of Bombay Chembur,
India celebrated International Day of the Girl Child by hosting a talk
which was attended by 500 students and raised awareness about the issues of the
girl child, create gender sensitization among the youth and advocate the cause
of education, health and sanitation for the girl child. SI Bombay Chembur also
launched an exhibition which displayed 150 posters created by students. The
exhibition was attended by 5000 students and created a collective voice against
violence towards the girl child.

 

 

SI Pune Metro East, India, Fundraiser to mark International
Day of the Girl Child 

SI Pune Meetro East organised a fundraiser ‘Chords for
a Cause’ which set out to increase the visibility of SI Pune Metro and raise
funds for ongoing and new projects, celebrating the day of the girl Child.  A special chosen National Anthem which
focussed on the girl child opened a musical evening ‘Chords for a Cause.’ The
evening was one of music, songs, interaction and the singer Neeharika Naidu
made it a point to select special songs for the occasion. President Neerja
Bajaj and Secretary Renu bhardwaj welcomed the guests in a beautifully
decorated auditorium. Two hours later the audience was hankering for encores.
For this young Club, it was an even more special day as their new website went
live, and new banners were exhibited along with the brochure printed specially
for the occasion. The Club’s Needlewoman group organized reusable bags that
were available at the venue. A visual presentation of all the projects was made
for this day and played before the show.