Malawi: Memory Banda, a warrior's cry against child marriage
Memory Banda’s life took a divergent path from her sister’s. When her sister reached puberty, she was sent to a traditional “initiation camp” that teaches girls “how to sexually please a man.” She got pregnant there — at age 11.
Banda, however, refused to go. Instead, she organised others and asked her community’s leader to issue a bylaw that no girl should be forced to marry before turning 18. She pushed on to the national level ... with incredible results for girls across Malawi.
In the time it has taken to read this article 5 girls under the age of 18 have been married
Each year, 12 million girls are married before the age of 18
That is 23 girls every minute
Nearly 1 every 2 seconds