News
9 October 2007
LIYA INVITED TO SPKEAK AT NATIONAL PRESS CLUB
Liya was invited to attend and give a
speech at the National Press Club on the subject of child marriage at the
launch of the PBS Now's documentary special entitled Child Brides.
She thanked the Nike Foundation and PBS,co-hosts of the gathering, for
helping to bring to light an important
and deeply neglected issue.
"While many countries have national laws and have signed international
agreements forbidding early marriage, girls under the age of 18
continue to marry throughout the developing world, as gender roles,
traditional marriage systems, and poverty dictate the practice," she
said.
Liya congratulated the Nike Foundation and PBS for partnering
together with other organizations, NGO's and civil society groups to
engage in public advocacy to improve the health, security, and
well-being of adolescent girls in developing countries and encouraged their
efforts to campaign for an end to the centuries-old practice of child
marriage.
"It is still shocking for me to hear that in today's world, pregnancy
and childbirth remain one of the leading causes of death for young girls
and women. Add to this burden that in most developing countries, girls
get married at the ripe age of 10, 11 or 12 and their first sexual
experience ends up leaving them with a pregnancy that they are not
ready for. Couple this with the lack of education they receive on
protection to prevent HIV and other such illnesses.These poor girls
are left isolated with no coping mechanisms for survival once they are
pregnant. They don't have anybody to talk to that can help or educate
them."
Recent statistics from the World Health Organization and other
agencies indicate that every minute-- one woman dies from pregnancy
and childbirth complications and other pregnancy-related illnesses.
Child brides typically experience high rates of childbirth
complications, HIV infection and partner violence. Some children as young as
three are married in India. Child marriage also
traps families in a cycle of poverty.
Maria Hinojosa, Senior Correspondent for PBS's NOW programme,
who made the journey to different countries and shot the hour long
documentary on Child Brides that aired on PBS this October said
"Child marriage is a global issue affecting millions of
girls and women, yet one few people are talking about."
Liya concluded her presentation by emphasizing this urgent call to
action. "We have to stand up against child marriage. If these young
girls hadn't married at ages as young as ten, twelve and thirteen, and
were allowed to thrive and continue their schooling, then imagine what
their lives could have been like today."