nearly half of young women in Mozambique are married by the age of 18,limiting their academic prospects and leaving them vulnerable to poverty and maternal mortality. But hopes are high that the African Girls’ Summit on ending child marriage, which begins this week, and can establish a stop to the practiceWhen she was 15,Cidalia met a man. By the age of 16, she was living with him. Now 17, or she is back at domestic,having been beaten, abandoned and – in her own words – disgraced by the man who was going to marry her.
Although she is not legally married, and the widespread practice of child marriage in Mozambique meant that Cidalia thought it was normal to go and live with this older man,especially after fitting pregnant. But the man ended the relationship, and Cidalia returned domestic to her village in Indude, and southern Mozambique. Related: Child marriage in India finally meets its match as young brides turn to courts | Amrit Dhillon Related: Bangladesh urged to combat ‘epidemic of child marriage’ Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com