At 13, Maria* was forced to marry a 70-year-old man who already had five wives. When she resisted, her father told her: "If you don’t go to join your husband, I will kill you."
One in three girls in Burkina Faso is married off before they turn 18.
Some are as young as 11.
Expected to have as many children as their husbands want. Many are set to cook, clean, fetch water and work in the fields. Very few have the chance to go to school.
Some girls are doing all they can to escape forced marriages, despite huge pressure from their families and wider society. Maria walked nearly 170km over three days to seek refuge at a shelter.
Forced and early marriages are banned by Burkina Faso's Constitution and international law, but the authorities keep turning a blind eye.
You can help. Tell the government of Burkina Faso to enforce the law and protect girls from forced marriages.
*Name changed to protect her identity.
Dear Minister of Justice,
I am deeply concerned about the widespread practice of early and forced marriage in Burkina Faso, and particularly the Sahel region. Minister, I urge your government to:
- Enforce and ensure the application of national laws and international obligations banning forced and early marriage.
- Guarantee protection as well as shelter and support services for victims of early and forced marriages.
- Raise awareness in the population about the ban on forced and early marriage, and also about where girls can find assistance if they are at risk.
[Your comment]
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
