Every year, an estimated 12 million girls are married before their 18th birthday. That’s roughly one girl every three seconds who is forced into child marriage — her future decided for her before she’s even had the chance to imagine a different path.
At Global Catalyst, we’re committed to ending this harmful practice so that every girl can discover her true potential and live the life she chooses for herself.
Our Commitment to Ending Child Marriage
We work directly with girls in extremely high-risk communities around the world, equipping them with a trusted mentor and the social and emotional skills to develop their agency, find their voice, and recognize that they have the power to overcome, and challenge, harmful traditions.
Every single day, we see the impact of this important work. In Andhra Pradesh, India — where 29% of girls are married before the age of 18 — our Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Team found that after just one year of our signature program, GLOW Club, parents’ preferred marriage age for their daughters rose from age 19 to age 21.
We also hear remarkable stories of girls using the skills they’ve gained and the support of their mentors to directly confront the threat of child marriage — either in their own lives, or the lives of their friends.
In India, one 16-year-old GLOW Club member found the courage to ask her mentor to intervene in her own impending marriage that was set to end her education.
“Because of the support from my mentor and the club, my parents cancelled my child marriage,” she shared. “Today I am continuing my education with confidence and want to achieve my dreams.”
“Because of the support from my mentor and the club, my parents cancelled my child marriage.”
In Malawi, where 39% of girls will marry before age 18, one GLOW Club member reflected on her own life journey.
“All around me, I saw girls getting married at early ages,” she shared. ‘You start imagining: Maybe tomorrow it will be me. Without this club, maybe I would have already been married.”
We’re deeply moved by these girls’ stories of strength, bravery, and resilience. Because behind every statistic about child marriage is a girl who deserves better: A girl who has a vision for who she wants to be and the future she wants to shape.
Below, we’re sharing one powerful story from Kenya that continues to inspire our fight to end child marriage once and for all. Read on to hear GLOW Club member Amani (name changed for privacy) describe her extraordinary journey, in her own words.
Because change begins when we make room for girls’ voices — and prioritize their perspectives in conversations about their rights and wellbeing.
Amani’s Story: Escaping Child Marriage for a Brighter Future
My name is Amani. I’m 16 years old, and I’m a GLOW Club member in Kenya. Today, I would like to share my story.
It begins like this: My father wanted to marry me off to an old man.
In Maasai culture, they never believed that I could do better. They think girls should just be married off to go and give birth.
So my father never wanted me to go to school. I was just at home, taking care of my father’s cattle, for years. I would cry when I would see girls going to school. My father never allowed me to go to school. So I just stayed there, taking care of his cattle. When I would see a girl going to school, I felt so painful.
When I was almost to be married off, I didn’t even know. My father had already gathered all of the materials needed, like money and the man who was going to marry me. The man was old, and I was very young at that time, almost 10 years old.
So I snuck away to a school near our home. I woke up very early in the morning, and after that, I just ran. I was crying.
I never went back home. I had a dream. I didn’t want to be like other girls in my community. Because in my community, I never saw girls aiming high or advancing in school.
I knew that I wanted to be a girl who could stand for herself. A girl who is educated.
The school helped me. They gave me an exam, and I did well and was assigned to a class. The school called an organization — a rescue center for girls like me — and they helped me with everything I needed: clothes, food, and everything else.
It was there that I found GLOW Club, and GLOW Club has really, really, really helped me. The club was so wonderful, amazing, and fantastic. When I joined, I didn’t have confidence. Now, I can stand for myself and speak.
“I have learned that I can do everything. That I am capable.”
In my club, our mentors tell us that we are able. They tell us that girls can do anything.
If I didn’t have mentors, I wouldn’t be here. They have really inspired us. They keep telling us, “You can do it.” They’ve taught us how to be an advocate for others. Every time we do something, they affirm us.
They tell us that every time we wake up, we should tell ourselves, “I am beautiful, I can make it, I’m strong, and I can do it.”
I’ve learned that I can do everything. That I am capable, even if I went through many challenges. I really appreciate everything GLOW Club has done for me.
I passed my school exams and am now preparing for secondary school. My dream is to become a lawyer. In my community, I have never seen any girl becoming a lawyer. I like solving problems, even in my school.
I hope one day I can go back to my community and teach them everything I have learned. I would like to go back and share with others so that they can also be inspired and empowered.
Learn More About Our Commitment to Ending Child Marriage In, How a Girl-Led Radio Program Is Tackling Child Marriage in South Sudan.
Global Catalyst mentors girls around the world to become powerful advocates and confident leaders. Our signature program, GLOW Club, connects girls in some of the world’s most underserved areas with trusted local mentors and a safe space to express themselves as they develop their agency, find their voice, and build their power. Since our founding, we’ve ignited the power of more than 100,000 girls, sparking a growing movement of youth-led change that is transforming communities — and the world — for the better.
