Dear friend,

No matter who you are, each one of us has the power to take action to end child marriage. It’s a common misconception that issues relating to gender equality and improving girls’ access to their rights, agency and power are “women’s issues” and that men and boys don’t need to get involved.

Far from it, men and boys play a critical role in speaking up as allies to end gender-based violence and shift harmful social norms that underpin practices including child, early and forced marriage and unions.

As part of the Power to Girls campaign, we’ve mobilised allies and supporters far and wide, including Kenyan poet and activist, Dorphanage, whose personal connection with child marriage led him to speak up on the issue through his work.

“My mother passed when I was very young, and she was a teenager when she got involved with my father who was in his 20s. By sharing my story I'm acknowledging my mother's humanity, and the humanity of girls like her.”

- Dorphanage

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Photo: Brian Gathu

Since performing his powerful tribute to his mother, “Mum Aliishia,” at Girls Not Brides’ virtual launch festival for our Power to Girls campaign in 2021, the artist has been a supporter of the campaign. Dorphanage spoke to Girls Not Brides from his home in Nairobi, Kenya, sharing why he thinks it’s important for men and boys to take action on social issues like child marriage, and how he uses his spoken word poetry to raise awareness.

“There are men who’ve approached me who say "Thank you - you’ve changed the way I see things.” The best we can do is try and make sure the message reaches as many people as possible to try and make a change.”

- Dorphanage

As the largest global civil society partnership in the movement to end child marriage, Girls Not Brides is calling for urgent and immediate action on this issue through the Power to Girls campaign. Together we’ve mobilised people who care, like you and Dorphanage, all over the world to make their own commitment to ending child marriage and ensuring girls can access their power.

It’s not too late to take action. Make your Power to Girls commitment now [[link removed]].

In solidarity,

Girls Not Brides

Further reading

Legal change proposed in Guatemala [[link removed]] – Together with our member organisations in Guatemala, Girls Not Brides stands in solidarity with allies in the country who are saying “no” to a discriminatory proposed legal change which puts girls, adolescents and women at risk.

Kissa Kahani: The power of stories [[link removed]] – A new toolkit and curriculum created in collaboration between Girls Not Brides and member organisation in India, Project Khel, exploring storytelling as a means to understanding underlying concepts and structures that lead to child marriage

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