Ending child marriage: Cameroon intensifies fight

The exhibition dubbed, 'Paroles de Filles' is a display of framed pictures and testimonies from Cameroonian and other African girls who got married at tender ages.

The girls recount their stories in French and English and encourage the education of the girl child.

Pictures and stories of those partnering to end child marriage are also under exhibition with their commitments written in English and French.

One of such partners is Mathieu in Batouri in the East Region who says he is doing door-to-door sensitisation as many girls drop out of school due to early marriage.

It is an initiative of the association, Girls not Brides and is being presented in Cameroon by the Canadian High Commission in partnership with UNFPA, UNICEF and the Institut Français Cameroun.

With statistics indicating that 40 per cent of girls in Sub-Saharan Africa are married or in unions before 18 years, such testimonies are meant to beef up the fight against early marriages.

In this light, the stories of Faouzia married at14, Aminatou at 14, Lynda at 13 and Natasha at 13, are sure to inspire many Cameroonian girls to stand up against early marriage and encourage victims to pursue their dreams in spite of the challenges.