The Elders tackle the issue of child marriage

If you aren’t aware of what these wonderful Elders are doing please visit their website www.theelders.org. They have a mission to reach out to those who most need our help and to give a voice to the voiceless.  Recently they have been tackling the issue of child marriage. Here is what they have to say:
“Millions of girls who are forced into early marriage are among the most silent, invisible members of our society. They are barely treated as citizens, with no space to speak on their own behalf; they have no choice about school or marriage, no choice about if or when they want children.
The consequences of child marriage are multifaceted. Young brides are often pressured to prove their fertility before they are physically ready and this presents real danger: the leading cause of death in developing countries for girls aged 15-19 years old is childbirth. Girls who marry before they turn 18 are also at greater risk of violence and are more likely to contract HIV/AIDS than their unmarried counterparts. Very few child brides continue their education.
This month in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, we brought together 70 people from around the world who are striving to give these girls a voice; courageous women and men working tirelessly to create alternatives for girls to avoid early marriage by organising discussion and debate within their communities.
In the Amhara region of northern Ethiopia the most common age of marriage for girls is 12 – yet attitudes are changing. At the Berhane Hewan project, girls are encouraged to stay in school, know their rights and delay getting married.
By building an international Alliance to end child marriage, we hope to scale up these successes from communities and villages to the regional, national and global level.
Some say that it is not possible to change tradition. But tradition is man-made. Yes, we must be respectful, but we must also have the courage to acknowledge when traditions cause harm. When we give girls a voice, when we recognise their value, we enable them to fulfil their potential and fully contribute to their families and communities.”

Ganesh Himal Trading has donated to the Girl Child Education fund at the Association for Craft Producers since the 1990’s. This scholarship program helps the women producers we work with keep their girl children in school. As with The Elders we believe in empowering young women through education and providing meaningful work and economic advancement.  We have seen through our Fair Trade work with women in Nepal that when they are given this chance they become  leaders in their communities and create societies that no longer condone the subjugation of young women.

Please visit The Elders website www.theelders.org for more information on their great work on behalf of all humanity.