In Koulikoro, Aminata, a teenage activist against child marriage.
55% of girls in Mali are married before the age of 18.
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Koulikoro, Mali - With a determined step, Aminata Fofana walks into the courtyard and sits down on a chair. The teenager unlocks her phone with a thumb swipe on the screen and starts a conversation with her new friends from the adolescent girls' group. This small community allows young girls who were married off early to share their experiences and support each other.
Aminata, 17, has seen her life turned upside down by the death of her father. She was entrusted to an uncle who decided to stop her schooling. This uncle, who considered her an extra mouth to feed, also chose to force her into marriage at the age of 13.
The teenager found herself abruptly plunged into an adult world, forced into a marriage imposed when she was still a child.
Her voice trembles as she recalls the suffering she endured, the tears she held back, and the broken dreams.
"I suffered a lot from this marriage."
"I did not like that man,"
says Aminata, her voice trembling and tears streaming down her eyes. "I suffered a lot from that marriage, I even almost lost my mind. It was a marriage of interest, because he was rich. It was not the man who came to ask for my hand in marriage. It was rather my uncle who proposed that I marry him for financial reasons. I refused several times to spend the night with that man, but an aunt forced me to sleep with the man who became my husband by force. I did not like him at all. Just seeing him would ruin my day in advance."
Child marriage generally concerns girls and is very high in the regions of Sikasso, Kayes, and Koulikoro, the areas of intervention of the Spotlight Initiative in Mali. Among women aged 15-49 who are married, the percentage who were married before the age of 15 is higher than the national average of 16.1% in the regions.
Aminata, a powerful voice
Child marriage is a major obstacle to future prospects, personal fulfillment, and educational success for young girls. This harmful practice for young girls constitutes a real violation of their most fundamental rights, and a brake on their development and fulfillment.
Moreover, these young girls find themselves rushed into an adult world for which they are not prepared, still being children. This double constraint exerts an overwhelming pressure on them, hindering their development and limiting their future opportunities. The consequences of child marriage have negative repercussions on society, the workforce, and the economy, and transgresses the rights of children. Children have the right to health, education, protection against exploitation and violence.
The Spotlight Initiative implements community approaches, including adolescent girls' groups for the prevention of child marriage and the care of married children. This approach also includes the participation and involvement of men to prevent fathers and uncles from forcing adolescent girls to marry. Thanks to this program, 1,043 marriages of girls under 18 and 1,787 cases of female genital mutilation (FGM) have been avoided between 2019 and 2023.
"The Spotlight Initiative Program listened to me a lot, and it helped me. They helped me, supported me and allowed me to get back on my feet. Today I am well, I am happy to have been able to study and I obtained the Diploma of Fundamental Studies (DEF). I am satisfied with my performance," explains Aminata, proudly.
Today, through the Spotlight Initiative Program, Aminata has become a powerful voice within her community. She raises awareness among parents and shares her life journey with young girls at risk of child marriage in the community. "I am a survivor of child marriage. I don't want anyone to rush into marriage. The Spotlight Initiative Program allows me to convey my ideas and raise awareness."
