I want to choose about my life
Radhika is 17 years old and lives in East Terai, Nepal. When she was only 16 years old, her father came to her one day and told her to tidy up the house because she would soon meet her future husband. Radhika was asked to give up her freedom, including her studies, her friends, her dreams and her future. Radhika was desperate.
"I want to choose about my life." That decision meant everything to her.
She also knew she would have to fight and risk losing the support of her family and being abandoned.
But Radhika was not alone!
She turned to the Girls Club, one of the centers for girls started by ActionAid in Nepal, of which Radhika she was a member. There she had learned that forced marriage is illegal and, above all, there was a community of girls ready to accept her request for help.
Starting in 2020, together with the Girls’ Club, we stood by her side for many months. Organizing numerous meetings with her father, we shared with him the negative implications of an early marriage, including the devastating impact it has on the lives of young girls, as well as the legal repercussions (the law provides for up to 3 years of imprisonment) for the family. As we undertake these meetings with families and the whole community, we raise awareness to stop all practices detrimental to women's rights.
"When my father finally decided to cancel the marriage, I was over the moon and so happy to be able to continue school. Two other friends and I are among the few in the village to attend the fifth year". This is a huge achievement for a 16 year old girl in Nepal!
Today, Radhika is 17 years old. Now that she is aware of herself, her strength and her rights, she dreams of "becoming a teacher and helping girls like me understand the importance of education".
In 2021, thanks to all of our local colleagues and your valuable support, we managed to stop 24 forced marriages in Terai. 24 precious success stories reinforcing our efforts against against gender violence.
But violence against women has no boundaries and there is still much we can do together. In the world there are 15 million young girls forced to marry every year. This means 28 forced marriages every minute.
In the 45 countries we are present, ActionAid works closely with local associations to guarantee education and training, build a widespread network of projects, and to create active and independent local communities. These same communities, organized in groups of women, children, and farmers, are the protagonists of our work together and learn for themselves to promote and defend their rights.
There are still many girls and women who need to their lives free from violence. Together, we can write a different ending for them and build a world free from gender-based violence!