News

October 09, 2007

Liya Speaks at the 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."

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