A 10-Year-Old Tackling Child Marriage in Liberia
- 16 hours ago
- 2 min read
Xaveria, a 10-year-old from Liberia is committed to ending child, early and forced marriages in her community. She firmly believes that education is key to eliminating this harmful practice. At her school, Word of Life International School, she has established a club called ‘Anti-Child Marriage Club’ and also regularly visits public places like markets and churches to create awareness and educate the public, including students and parents, about the potential harms of child marriage. Xaveria says
'I know children who were married very young. I want children to go to school and become successful in life. I do not want them to take care of babies at this age.'
Her primary focus is ensuring that all children have access to education. She believes that encouraging parents to send their children to school can make a significant difference. In her view, children’s lives improve greatly when they are supported to continue their education. She also urges parents to join the movement to end child marriage. She adds,
She also emphasises that schools can play a crucial role by taking timely action and reporting to the police if they discover that a student is being forced into marriage.
'I have started ‘Anti Child Marriage’ club at my school to create awareness among students about child marriage. We regularly conduct sensitisation programmes and initiate conversations to spread awareness about the harms of child marriage. A total of 50 students and 5 teachers are part of this club. Our teachers are very supportive and are willing to work towards ending the practice of child marriage.'
She believes that initiating conversations about child marriage and engaging with the public can help combat the practice as children are still being forced into marriage. Her aim is to raise awareness about the serious consequences of early marriage.
She also emphasises that schools can play a crucial role by taking timely action and reporting to the police if they discover that a student is being forced into marriage.
‘In my opinion, we need more support to create awareness and eliminate early marriage from society. More work needs to be done to put an end to this practice,’ says Xaveria.
Xaveria envisions a world where children are free to attend school, enjoy their childhood, pursue success in their chosen fields, and are not burdened with household responsibilities at a young age.
About the Authors
Gayatri Menon is a development professional and researcher with 10 years of experience working with children. She specialises in program management, monitoring & evaluation, research, and stakeholder coordination across government, NGOs, and international platforms. She is currently a Consultant for the global Child Marriage Free World campaign, she leads partner mobilisation across 40+ countries. She submitted her PhD Thesis in Social Work at the University of Delhi.
Aswathy Nair is a strategic communications and content professional with over 7.5 years of experience across government, media, and development sectors. Proven expertise in public communication campaigns, content development, media coordination, and multilingual storytelling. Experienced in working with government institutions, international stakeholders, and media houses to design, execute, and evaluate high-impact communication initiatives.
