Niger: Young Nigeriens Call for an End to Child Marriage On International Day of the Girl

What do a NASA scientist, a disability rights activist, a social media campaigner, a women's rights defender, a midwife, and two slam poets have in common - apart from their beaming smiles? They are all committed advocates working to end violence against women and girls in their country.

Niger has the highest child marriage prevalence rate in the world according to UNICEF, with 76 per cent of girls married before the age of 18 and 28 per cent married before they turn 15. In 2017, the government raised the school leaving age for girls to 16 - a significant step in combatting child marriage - but there is still work to be done.

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