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Day of the Girl: giving girls a voice
“Every three seconds, another girl becomes a child bride.” 11 October marks the first ever International Day of the Girl Child: a chance to amplify the voice of millions of girls everywhere being married off before the age of 18. Join Mary Robinson and Desmond Tutu in celebrating Day of the Girl. Help us end child marriage.
In 2010, The Elders began to forge a global civil society alliance for a world without child marriage. Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage brings together non-governmental organisations working all over the world to end this harmful practice. It aims to give a voice to girls at risk of child marriage, to defend their rights to health and education, and to give them the opportunities they need to fulfil their potential.
FEATURED ELDERS
Mary Robinson
First woman President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; former Chair of The Elders; a passionate advocate for gender equality, women’s participation in peace-building, human dignity and climate justice.
Desmond Tutu
Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town and Nobel Peace Laureate; a veteran anti-apartheid activist and peace campaigner widely regarded as ‘South Africa’s moral conscience’.
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Google+ Hangout with Mary Robinson and child marriage activists
Why is child marriage the focus of the International Day of the Girl? How can we end this harmful practice that affects millions of girls every year? How can advocates and activists – especially young people all around the world – take a stand against