Empower communities to end child marriage - Mexico

Child marriage is a global problem that has devastating consequences for thousands of girls and adolescents. Understanding the causes and consequences of this practice makes us continue working so soon no woman will be forced to marry without her consent.

In Yo quiero Yo Puedo, and thanks to the collaboration of great allies, we have managed to enter the heart of the Montaña in the State of Guerrero, Mexico, to implement our program “Help them not to reach the altar” with the communities of the municipality of Metlatonoc, where this practice is still part of their uses and customs, as it is common that girls and adolescents are married to much older men to reduce the economic burden for their families and to obtain some income from the sale of the minor.

From our work, communities have understood that this practice violate human rights, and are aware now of the violence dynamics against girls and women which voices have been nullified for decades in the region. Thanks to the support we have had, our team of local facilitators has entered the communities to generate sustainable individual and social change, gaining the trust of the residents, being sensitive to the conditions of the region and deeply respecting the beliefs, which has resulted in the signing of 11 minutes of agreement, where local authorities and community representatives have decided to criminalize and put an end to this practice.

We still have a lot to do and thanks to your contributions we can continue working to build a different reality for thousands of girls and women in the region, through education and awareness raising to guarantee the recognition and protection of their rights.

Join us to end violence against girls and women!