When Memory Banda’s younger sister was forced to1
marry at just 11 years old, Memory became determined to
ensure that no more girls had to experience her sister’s fate.
Since then, this remarkable young woman from rural Malawi4
has helped to persuade her government to raise the minimum
age of marriage across her country, and is blazing a trail for
girls that we all should follow.7
Memory’s sister became pregnant during a traditional
sexual “cleansing ceremony”, a rite of passage in some parts of
Malawi that is supposed to prepare pubescent girls for10
womanhood and marriage. She was forced to marry the father
of her unplanned child, a man in his early 30s, and was
burdened with all the responsibilities of adulthood. Now 16,13
she is raising three children alone; she has been unable to
return to school.
The incident inspired Memory to push for a better16
future for girls. She became involved with a local grassroots
group, Girls Empowerment Network, joining other young
women and civil-society groups across Malawi to urge village19
authorities and parliamentary ministers to put an end to child
marriages. Last month, Memory’s efforts — along with those
of thousands of others — paid off, when Malawi’s government22
enacted a new law that sets the minimum age for marriage
at 18.
Memory’s achievement is an important one. Every25
year, some 15 million girls are married before the age of 18,
and their plight is all too often ignored. A girl forced into
marriage typically faces pressure to bear children before she is28
physically or emotionally ready to do so. And the result can be
deadly. Girls who give birth before they turn 15 are five times
more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth than women in31
their 20s.
The consequences of child marriage are lifelong.
Child brides typically drop out of school, losing the chance to34
acquire the skills and knowledge needed to lift themselves and
their families out of poverty. Like Memory’s sister, they often
are married to older men — a situation that leaves them less37
able to ensure that they are treated well.
Education for girls is crucial to ending child marriage.
The transition from primary school to secondary school is40
particularly important, as it usually coincides with adolescence,
a period in a girl’s life that lays the foundation for success and
wellbeing in womanhood. Girls with secondary education are43
up to six times less likely to marry early compared to girls with
little or no education.
Girls must be convinced and assured of their worth,46
but they should not be left to end child marriage on their
own. Families, communities, and societies share a joint
responsibility to end it. Governments need to adopt legislation49
that sets 18 as the minimum age for marriage — leaving no
room for exceptions such as traditional practices or parental
consent — the same way that fathers, brothers, and male52
leaders must be engaged to care for and empower girls.
It is up to all of us to serve as role models for the girls
in our lives. We have all benefited from the wisdom of our55
parents, partners, colleagues, and mentors. It is now up to us to
nourish and nurture girls’ ambitions. Let girls be girls, not
brides.58
Mabel van Oranje and Graça Machel. Girls, not brides. Apr.
22nd 2015. Internet: <www.project-syndicate.org> (adapted).