“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.

In this interview for BBC Radio's Focus on Africa, Archbishop Tutu calls child marriage "a devastating social custom used against innocent, vulnerable girls” and discusses the Elders' recent visit to Ethiopia where he met child brides and the people campaigning to end the practice.