Girl Summit: Children Free From Fear of FGM and Early Marriage
World Vision works across the globe in countries and communities affected by every kind of issue, from fresh water to medical supplies, from education to child protection. It's the latter that Tracy Shields is concerned with, and today, ahead of next week's Girl Summit Tracy shares why she's so dedicated to this issue, and why she's raising not just her voice and our voice, but the voices of the children facing these fears head on.
By Tracy Shields, Child Rights Programme Advisor, World Vision UK
In 2008, while I was working in a rural community in Papua New Guinea, there was a big “sing sing” or celebration being prepared for the weekend. When I asked what it was for, I was told it was a marriage celebration. The bride was 15 years old.
Fast forward to 2011 and I am in Somaliland, talking with women there who are telling me about how they were cut as children and how old they were when they married, at the ages of 13 and 14.
Fast forward to 2013 and I am in a community in Ethiopia, speaking to a girl who is 14, who has undergone FGM, who is getting married in two weeks, who is scared.
I don’t want to keep fast forwarding into the future and keep hearing these stories.
A chance for change
On Tuesday 22nd July the UK will host the first Girl Summit with the aim of mobilising efforts to end female genital mutilation and cutting (FGM/C) and child, early and forced marriage (CEFM) within a generation.
We need this summit because 1 in 3 girls around the world are married as children. We need this summit because up to 140 million girls and women worldwide have undergone FGM/C.
As a child-centred organisation working in child protection World Vision are proud to be a part of this summit, and grateful to get an opportunity bring the voices of children in the community to the world.
And for this Summit, boy do we have some voices.
Alice and Alfred
Alice, 15, and Alfred, 16, live in Sierra Leone and for the last 2 ½ years have been participating in World Vision Children’s Clubs.
They have been learning about their rights, they have been learning about child protection issues and who can they talk to about them. Last year they did something remarkable.
With Alice and Alfred as representatives, children asked to meet with their community leaders. They told community leaders that two of their biggest fears were FGM/C and early marriage. At 15 and 16 years old and in front of District chiefs, community elders, their peers and community members Alice and Alfred spoke up. And their community listened.
Because of this meeting Alice and Alfred’s communities now have laws against early marriage and FGM/C. Children in that community are feeling safer and living free from the fear of early marriage and FGM/C. Amazing.
I met Alice and Alfred in March in their community. They, and their peers, blew me away with their passion and enthusiasm. On Saturday 19th July Alice and Alfred will bring this same passion and enthusiasm and will be part of a youth delegation participating in #YouthForChange speaking and exchanging ideas with lots of other youth from around the world.
From here they will participate in the Girls Summit bringing the voices of children from their communities to this ground breaking event. We're immensely proud to be hosting these two genuine leaders of their generation and helping to make sure their voices are heard.
The voices of survivors are vital to ensure progress can be made, but what Alice and Alfred offer is the very real hope - and a very real demonstration - that FGM/C and early marriage could be ended within a generation: their generation.
The UK Government are calling for you to pledge your support and add your voice to our shared goals and ambition to end FGM/C and CEFM. You can also leave a comment of encouragement for Alice and Alfred below.