Together: ending child marriage in Zambia
Mirriam is 17. Like any other teenager, she has ambitions and dreams: she wants to become a doctor. But where she lives, child marriage and poverty threaten her chances of the education she needs and the future she dreams of.
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A story of partnership
Together: Ending Child Marriage in Zambia is a short documentary. It asks what can be done to help girls like Mirriam avoid child marriage and fulfil their potential.
It tells a story of partnership: civil society activists, girls, traditional leaders and the government are coming together to make sure that no girl is married as a child.
Rates of early marriage in Zambia are among the highest in the world. If a movement can gain momentum there, the film suggests, it may pave the way for change in Zambia and far beyond.
The film argues that, by working in partnership, we can end child marriage in one generation and give every girl a bright future.
It features the work of Girls Not Brides members in Zambia, including the Forum for African Women Educationalists Zambia (FAWEZA), Population Council and YWCA Zambia. It was produced by Fat Rat Films.
About child marriage
Child marriage is not just about a wedding day. It holds girls back for the rest of their lives.
Girls who marry usually drop out of school and soon start a family. Child marriage denies them the chances that would build a better life for them and their families, and stops them from contributing to their communities.
- Every year, 15 million girls worldwide are married under the age of 18.
- In Zambia, almost two in every five girls are estimated to be married as children.