A Journey in Activism

Anne Gallagher is a true veteran in the field of anti-trafficking, with a record of engagement on this issue that goes back to the late 1990s when she was working at the United Nations Human Rights Office in Geneva. At that time, she was asked by Mary Robinson, the-then High Commissioner for Human Rights, to…

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Eliminate Forced Marriage

The interim inquiry report entitled Advocating for the elimination of child and forced marriage was tabled in the Commonwealth Parliament on 2nd December. The inquiry was conducted by the Human Rights Sub-Committee of the Joint Standing Committee of Foreign Affairs and Trade.  The inquiry focused on the advocacy work being undertaken by the Australian Government…

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Human Rights Day 2019

Human Rights Day, observed each year on 10th December, marks the anniversary of the  day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). In his 2019 message to mark this day the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres states: This year, on Human Rights Day, we celebrate the role of young people in bringing…

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SDGs and Child Marriage

Child Marriage is a global problem with 21% of young women being married before they are 18 years old (UNICEF). Unless this practice is ended 8 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will not be realised. Child marriage is a human rights issue. Young girls have a right to education, to safety, to living…

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Economic Impacts of Child Marriage

Negative Impacts on Girls, their Children, Families, Communities and Nations Goal 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals has as one of its targets to “eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation.” A recent study suggests that many countries have begun to adopt strategies to end the practice and investments…

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Stop Trafficking!

Anti-Human Trafficking Newsletter Vol 15 No 10 The October 2017 issue of Stop Trafficking! highlights the role of the legal profession and law in stemming human trafficking. Articles in this issue include Pro bono lawyers fight for trafficked persons, Child marriage, Tahirih Justice Centre and Business law and social responsibility. Download a copy of the October…

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The World We Want

End Child Marriage Every year, approximately 14 million girls are married before they turn 18, robbed of their rights to education, health and a life free of violence. Child marriage undermines our efforts to build a healthier, safer, just and more prosperous world for all. Solutions exist. Child marriage can end. But we must work together.…

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We Are Girls, Not Brides

Child Marriage in Africa Child marriage is very prevalent in Africa. A young Zambian women wrote a song about child marriage and got her classmates sing it with her. Girls Not Brides filmed the song launching the video on the Day of the African Child (June 16)

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Strategies to End Child Marriage

Check List from GIRLS NOT BRIDES GIRLS NOT BRIDES is a civil society partnership of more than 550 member organisations that are based in over 70 countries. Their aim is to give the issue of child marriage worldwide attention so that strategies can be put in place to end it. In February 2016 they issued A…

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Jail Sentence for Father of Child Bride

Twelve Year Old Girl Married in Ceremony at Family Home The father of a twelve year old girl has been sentenced to six years in jail after he allowed her marriage.  The girl, now thirteen, was married to a 26-year-old man in a ceremony by a local sheikh at the family home in the Hunter Valley last…

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End Child, Early & Forced Marriage

Historic Resolution of UN General Assembly The committee of the 193-nation General Assembly of the United Nations has agreed that members should pass laws banning child marriages.  According to UN statistics there are now more that 700 million women who were married before their 18th birthday with child marriages afffecting about 15 million girls every…

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Progress on Ending Child Marriage

UNICEF Report A recent UNICEF report indicates that the practice of child marriage is slowly declining. “Progress is most dramatic when it comes to the marriage of girls under 15 years of age. Globally, 1 in 4 young women alive today were married in childhood versus 1 in 3 in the early 1980s. The proportion…

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