Human rights. Stacy Shapiro (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso). Forced into marriage

Across Burkina Faso, thousands of girls and young women,
some as young as 11, are being forced into early marriage.
This scandal is one of many reasons why International
Women’s Day (IWD) is so vital — to throw a spotlight on
such terrible abuses.
Let’s use today to put pressure on Burkina Faso’s
government and make sure young girls are no longer
forced into marriage.
Sign our petition calling on Burkina Faso to stop early
marriage once and for all.
At least 52% of girls in Burkina Faso marry before the age
of 18. However, the government recently vowed to adopt a
national strategy and three-year action plan to eliminate the
kind of ordeals faced by girls like Maria.
At 13, Maria [not her real name] was forced to marry a
70-year-old man who already had five wives. When she
resisted, her father told her: “If you don’t go to join your
husband, I will kill you.”
But Maria was determined to fight back, walking nearly
170km over three days to reach a shelter for girls. She
eventually returned home where, after interventions from
the police, she was finally freed from her “marriage”.
Burkina Faso’s lawmakers must now put these new policies
into practice. With the voices of people all around the world,
like yours, we can send them a message that women and girls in
Burkina Faso must not be forced into marriages that have farreaching
consequences for their health, safety and human rights.
Join a chorus of voices on International Women’s Day —
protect the girls of Burkina Faso from child marriage, now.
P.S. Read our blog, 6 reasons why we still need International
Women's Day