LETTER: Help end modern slavery
Contributed by Victoria Frutos, social work major
Child marriage is a growing global issue, specifically in developing countries. In countries like Niger thirty percent of girls are married before they are fifteen years old, and almost eighty percent are married before they turn eighteen.
Child brides suffer daily from poverty, lack of education, and lack of autonomy. Currently, Niger’s President Mahamadou Issoufou has stated that he will no longer tolerate child marriages. There are also talks about a bill that could change the legal age of marriage from the age of 16 to 18 in Niger.
Freedom United is an organization that is standing up and engaging in advocacy to end child marriages, and you can help too! Below is a link provided by the organization to sign a petition that would promote your voice and others who want to end child marriages.
The organization plans to get 20,000 signatures and present them to President Mahamadou Issoufou and his cabinet members. Sign your name to become part of the change!
