Child brides in forced marriages: where 'I do' is stolen, and freedom is the price
Mabel van Oranje
Founder Vow for Girls
"When I traveled to northern Ethiopia in 2011, I met a group of girls who had all been married off as children. They were no longer allowed to attend school, and many became pregnant while they were still children themselves. For these girls, marriage marked the end of their dreams.
I asked the girl sitting next to me how old she was when she got married. She didn’t know her exact age but thought she was between 5 and 7 years old. That hit me hard. At the time, my daughters were 5 and 6 years old. If they had been born there, in northern Ethiopia, they might also have become child brides.
I believe that every girl has the right to equal opportunities and should have access to them, no matter where she is born. That’s the mission of VOW for Girls: to ensure that all girls can simply be girls and not child brides."
support the cause
This month, join us in the fight to end child marriage. VOW partners with local leaders worldwide to eradicate the causes of child marriage and create opportunities for every girl to be unstoppable. Together, we expand her access to education, encourage her leadership, and shift local social norms that limit her future.
Their goal is to send 50 girls to school this month, empowering them with the tools to build their own future. Every donation helps make this vision a reality. Let’s make a lasting impact together. Donate today.
your Miracle Oil will work wonders
we support VOW for girls!
You can donate and/or you can buy our Miracle Oil. From every bottle sold in December we will donate 25% of the proceeds to Vow for Girls.