In Zambia, two in every five girls are married before they are 18. The impact of child marriage is lifelong, with serious implications for a girl’s health, education and future prosperity, and that of her family and community too. Child marriage tends to mean that the girl drops out of school, and 50% of the people in the community lose the opportunity to fully develop themselves. Child marriages also tend to result in girls becoming pregnant at very young ages, which be harmful or even fatal for the girl.
But as I watched the video above, created by Girls Not Brides, and called Together: Ending Child Marriage in Zambia, I gained a bit more of an appreciation for one of the consequences of living in extreme poverty; that people are faced with an array of problematic options, and have no choice but to pick one.
The first part of the video tells the story of Mirriam, a 17 year-old girl from rural Zambia with big dreams and big ambitions. Where Mirriam lives, however, child marriage is all too common. In it, we get to see the work that is being done in the community to empower young girls to make their own decisions, and achieve their potential in life.
The second half of the video features a community meeting, in which a senior member of the community is answering questions that local men have about the pros and cons of child marriage. One question came from a father who explained that he was poor, and didn't know whether marrying off his daughter would help this. I presume that one half of his mind was worried about his ability to provide for his daughter, and the prospect that if she were to marry someone, she may be better looked after. But clearly there was also an understanding that child marriage perpetuates poverty problems in communities. It's not a completely one-sided situation for someone in his position.
The video then went on to explain how the Zambian Government is creating social and financial policies to reduce the temptation to marry girls off when they are still children, and it shows how lots of different parts of the community need to come together in partnership in order to create real change. It takes civil society activists, girls, traditional leaders, and the government.
It's inspiring to see the efforts to build momentum in a country where rates of early marriage are among the highest in the world, and the lessons here don't just apply to Zambia. Eradicating extreme poverty in communities and countries is deeply tied in with harnessing the intelligence and potential of the women and girls in these places. It's not a women's issue, it's everyone's issue!