“People can change their attitudes. We have to help them do it.”

Speaking at an inquiry of the UK International Development Committee, Gro Harlem Brundtland discusses what parliamentarians and policy-makers can do to ensure development programming tackles gender-based violence.

In a development welcomed by child marriage activists, the United States Congress has passed a bill stating that child marriage breaches fundamental human rights – and requiring the US to integrate the prevention of this harmful practice across its development programmes.

“We ought to do everything in our power to ensure girls can become all they can be.” Desmond Tutu

In November, Desmond Tutu and Graça Machel took part in a Girls Not Brides conference discussing how to end child marriage in Sub-Saharan Africa. The event in South Africa brought together activists, campaigners and experts from across the continent.

For the International Day of the Girl 2012, Desmond Tutu and Mary Robinson travelled to the United States to take part in a series of events marking the day, including a meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, a high-level panel discussion with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and a live web conversation with child marriage activists and experts.

“It’s not just throwing money at the problem. The idea is to ensure that the standards are respectful of the customs and traditions of the community.”

In an interview with The Washington Post, following his meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in Washington DC, Desmond Tutu discusses The Elders' work to tackle early marriage and welcomes new aid commitments from the US and others to fund programmes that work with communities to end this harmful practice.

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 child marriage?

On 11 October Mary Robinson, Christy Turlington Burns, experts and activists answered your questions and discussed child marriage in a live online conversation.

“The empowerment of girls holds the key to development and security for families, communities and societies worldwide.”

In an opinion piece published in newspapers around the world for the International Day of the Girl, Desmond Tutu and Ela Bhatt call on the international community to commit to ending child marriage in one generation – letting girls fulfil their potential for generations to come.