Mariama Moussa won the Women For Change award in 2014. Since then, she has set up a programme to fight against young girls in Niger being forced into early marriage, especially in the rural community of Abal.
This project came about because of the current situation in Niger: every year, at the end of their primary education, 2 out of 3 girls are forced to leave and get married. Mariama Moussa’s aim is, above all, to fight against children being forced into early marriage, but also to change the way people in the region behave with regard to this phenomenon.
In order to achieve her goal, she organises appeals as well as meetings to raise awareness on the subject. An outreach session was held in Abala to expose and condemn the evils of early marriage for young girls. The meeting was followed by a screening of the film "Hassia, Amour ou Châtiments".
In order to make sure the programme is a success, 16 watchdog committees have been set up, and the project’s message is broadcast on local radio. 1200 women, 1000 young girls, 300 men and 500 young boys (3000 people in total) have benefited from this awareness campaign.
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The programme has already helped: 3000 people, made up of 1200 women, 1000 young girls, 300 men and 500 young men.
