We believe that child marriage is an extreme violation of children’s rights – it brings down the darkness in the life of a girl and destroys childhoods.” – Young Leaders’ Open Letter to Decision Makers
Children and young people have issued a powerful open letter to decision-makers calling for a ban on child marriage.
THEY ARE SPEAKING TRUTH, HOLDING LEADERS TO ACCOUNT AND DEMANDING CHANGE.
Excerpts from the Open Letter on Child Marriage:
Open Letter on Child Marriage (1)
“Every child in the community needs to know their rights in relation to child marriage laws and policies. Governments should make people in school and college aware of the bad effects of child marriage and popularize the national helpline number so people can report cases of child marriage. The government should also ensure people who are involved with child marriage face strict punishment and let people know about the punishment.”
“And we want our governments to monitor and enforce laws which protect children’s rights. We need a social movement against child marriage with community, government and NGOs working together to make society violence free for every girl.”
“Please join with us in this goal and sign a commitment to end child marriage. Don’t wait another day to take action with us.”
Sign your commitment to end child marriage
JOIN YOUNG LEADERS IN THEIR CALL FOR CHANGE
From the Open Letter on Child Marriage:
In order to protect our childhood, we should end child marriage. Because no one has the right to ruin our childhood. Since children are the present and future of the nation, how can you ensure the future in the middle of the four walls when a child gets married? We must fight to save children’s future, not for the girls only, but for the country and the world.
So, we ask:
1. Ban any child marriage under the age of 18 in all the countries of the world.
2. Prohibit the option of girls being married off with parental consent. This puts children at high risk as in many rural communities, people respect customary leadership more than national law, and continue to marry off their children
3. Empower girls and boys to be bold and courageous to report child marriages to the local authority. This will help so much because the children themselves are against this practice.
4. Stop the view of girls as a burden and child marriage as a solution to end poverty. Both are not true.
5. Provide more and better education for girls and keep everyone at school
