SAVE CHILD BRIDES IN AFGHANISTAN

by World Vision Singapore

PROVIDE BETTER FUTURES FOR AT-RISK GIRLS IN AFGHANISTAN

"My father married me to an older man. I was forced to drop out of school. My husband was a drug addict and my marriage soon became abusive. He also asked me to do odd-jobs to support our home. He finally threw me and my two children out of my home because I couldn’t make enough money to support his drug habit.” ~ Khadija, 16

Afghanistan is one of the world’s poorest and most fragile states. Being a patriarchal society, educational and economic value is placed on the sons. A daughter’s value is found in her marriageability. Driven by poverty and battling the effects of climate change, drought-stricken farming families alleviate their financial burdens by marrying off their daughters.

To prevent child, early and forced marriages in Afghanistan, you can:

• Provide education and vocational training to adolescent girls to improve their value in society
• Educate the girls' families on the dangers of child marriage