Feel Good Friday - Girls Not Brides

For our next installment of Women’s History Month Feel Good Friday blogs, let’s talk about child marriage and a group that’s working to end the practice, Girls Not Brides. 

Founded in 2011 to focus attention on the harmful practices that hold girls and women back, Girls Not Brides is “a global partnership of 1500+ civil society organizations committed to ending child marriage and enabling girls to fulfil their potential.” Their vision is “a world without child marriage where girls and women enjoy equal status with boys and men and are able to achieve their full potential in all aspects of their lives.” Watch this 3-minute video for an overview of their work.

 

Child marriage is an issue that affects girls around the world. Each year 12 million girls are married before the age of 18. That’s 23 girls every minute. In addition to depriving young girls of their freedom to decide if, when and who to marry, child brides are at greater risk of leaving school early, living in poverty, dying in childbirth, and experiencing sexual and physical violence. More information can be found on the learning and resourcessection of the website.

 

Girls Not Brides is a platform for 1500 member organizations across 100 countries to connect, learn from each other and collaborate. Members’ work in health, education and human rights informs the strategy, activities and messaging of the global partnership. Girls Not Brides includes members in national, regional, and global campaigns and members can use the Girls Not Brides website to connect with the media and showcase their work. 

 

Because Girls Not Brides is funded through grants from governments, foundations, and multilateral sources, they do not seek donations from the general public. If you’d like to support their work you can donate to a member organization, support a specific campaign against child marriage, and amplify their message on social media. Like their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter @GirlsNotBrides and Instagram @girlsnotbrides_. #EndChildMarriage