John, marked annually on March 8, International Women’s Day is one of the most important days of the year to celebrate women’s achievements and raise awareness about the steps we can all take to support equality. Ahead of this special day, we’re sharing one young woman’s inspiring story of standing up for her rights, and empowering women and girls in her community to do the same.

A girl’s future should be guided by her dreams – not her gender. But in rural Sierra Leone, 45% of girls marry before age 18. Powered by supporters like you, our Ending Child Marriage project is working to change this alarming statistic.

Kpemeh* was set to be married at 12 years old, but she was determined to finish her education and achieve her dream of becoming a nurse. Read Kpemeh’s story now to learn how your support helped her achieve her dreams.

In Sierra Leone and around the world, we’re working with children and their communities to address the root problems that lead to child marriage: poverty, gender inequality, adolescent pregnancy and more.

Together, we can create a world where every girl knows no limits and all children have the support they need to grow up healthy, educated and safe. Thank you for your partnership in this vital work.

Save the Children