End Gender-Based Violence

Decirle “NO” al matrimonio infantil

01 Feb 2019

Cada día, decenas de miles de niñas se convierten en niñas casadas. El matrimonio infantil viola sus derechos, pone en peligro su salud y torna incierto su futuro. Pero cuando las niñas son empoderadas para luchar, para negarse o escapar del matrimonio infantil, no hay límites para sus aspiraciones. Este Día de San Valentín veremos qué sucede cuando las niñas dicen "NO".

Globally, one in every five girls is married off before age 18.

Pero niñas como Kakenya Ntaiya están rechazando esta práctica. "Crecí en la zona rural en Kenya, donde la tradición indicaba que las niñas debían someterse a la mutilación genital femenina en preparación para el matrimonio a edad temprana", explicó al UNFPA. "En mi caso, escapé del matrimonio infantil y luché por mi educación". Se convirtió en asesora de jóvenes para el UNFPA, y fundó el grupo Kakenya's Dream de empoderamiento de niñas.

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Image courtesy of Kakenya’s Dream

girls like Kakenya Ntaiya are rejecting this practice

Child brides often drop out of school. But educating girls can break the cycle of poverty.

En Iraq, Elaf tenía dos hermanas adolescentes que abandonaron la escuela después de casarse. "Ambas desearían no haberse casado tan jóvenes", admite. "Mi sueño era ser farmacéutica, así que cuando mi padre decidió que debía casarme a los 15 años, me negué". Elaf tiene hoy 26 años y estudia farmacia.

Image courtesy of IHAO

Elaf had two teenage sisters drop out of school after marrying

Young brides often become pregnant while still adolescents. And unmarried girls who find themselves pregnant are often pressured to marry.

Esa fue la experiencia de Poni Helen en Sudán del Sur. "Mis padres querían que me casara cuando quedé embarazada a los 16 años. Los desafié porque quería terminar la escuela, pero no me apoyaron, así que trabajé y fui a la escuela. Hoy tengo 23 años y estudio Derecho mientras crío a mi hijo de seis años".

Adolescent pregnancy increases the risk of pregnancy complications. Having one’s dreams shattered takes a toll, too.

"Mi madre se casó muy joven, y aunque completó su educación superior no se le permitió trabajar después de casarse," afirma Farah Faizah, en Bangladesh. "Eso dejó un impacto duradero en su bienestar físico y mental". Hoy en día, la Sra. Faizah trabaja para las Naciones Unidas. "Si me hubiera casado muy joven, no creo que habría tenido las mismas oportunidades".

©UNFPA/ Asma Akter

Adolescent pregnancy increases the risk of pregnancy complications. Having one’s dreams shattered takes a toll, too.

Yet families often resort to child marriage because they see it as a girl’s only option – a belief fuelled by poverty, insecurity and gender inequality.

"En mi ciudad natal se obliga a muchas niñas a contraer matrimonio. Los padres tienden a pensar que las niñas no tienen futuro si no se casan", explica Hayat Outemma al UNFPA en Marruecos. "Soy muy afortunada porque pude terminar la escuela. Ahora soy maestra y activista social, y trabajo para cambiar la mentalidad sobre la educación de las niñas y el matrimonio infantil".

Image courtesy of Hayat Outemma

Yet families often resort to child marriage because they see it as a girl’s only option – a belief fuelled by poverty, insecurity and gender inequality.

The girls involved in these marriages are extremely vulnerable. They may be exposed to violence, and are often unable to advocate for their needs and rights.

"A los 15 años dejé de asistir a la escuela para casarme con un sargento del ejército 20 años mayor que yo", declara Chipasha, hoy en día defensora de niñas en Zambia. "Mi esposo abusó de mí... incluso cuando estaba embarazada de su hijo". Pero entonces comenzó a visitar un espacio seguro apoyado por el Programa Mundial para Poner Fin al Matrimonio Infantil, del UNFPA-UNICEF. "Con la ayuda de nuestra mentora, finalmente salí junto con mi bebé de un matrimonio abusivo".

Child marriages take place all over the world, across a wide range of communities and religions.

En Estados Unidos, Jada fue amenazada con el matrimonio infantil forzoso con apenas 12 años. Buscó ayuda en el grupo de derechos Tahirih, y encontró refugio en casa de un pariente. "He logrado cosas fabulosas por no haberme casado temprano", afirma Jada, que ahora tiene 17 años. "He seguido mi sueño de convertirme en bailarina".

Image courtesy of Jada Martinez

Child marriages take place all over the world, across a wide range of communities and religions.

But when girls know their rights, they can stand up for themselves.

En Georgia, los padres de Chinara Kojaeva intentaron casarla con solo 15 años. "Me puse en contacto con la policía, y más tarde mis padres me prometieron que me permitirían recibir instrucción y no casarme hasta que cumpliera 18 años". Pero cuando tenía 17 años, intentaron nuevamente obligarla a contraer matrimonio. Ella lo denunció a las autoridades y se mudó a un refugio. Allí Chinara asiste a clases y aprende a pintar y a boxear. "Aquí empecé una nueva vida", sostiene.

The UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme is reaching millions of girls and community members with information and services to end child marriage.

"Al crecer no me di cuenta de que a muchas niñas se les niega la instrucción y se las fuerza a casarse precozmente. Tuve la suerte de recibir una educación que me abrió las puertas", afirma Marie-Claude Bibeau, ministra de Desarrollo Internacional de Canadá. El Gobierno de Canadá es uno de los principales promotores del Programa Mundial. "Todos debemos trabajar incansablemente para ayudar a las niñas y mujeres jóvenes a superar las barreras a sus derechos y desarrollo para que puedan alcanzar su máximo potencial".

Image courtesy of Global Affairs Canada

The UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme is reaching millions of girls and community members with information and services to end child marriage.

Still, child marriage is not declining fast enough. If efforts to end child marriage are not accelerated, over 150 million more girls will marry by 2030.

"El 90 % de mis amigas de la secundaria se casaron siendo adolescentes", calcula Roceli Dzib García al hablar con el UNFPA en México. "He podido continuar mi educación universitaria gracias al apoyo de mi madre".

For those who do escape child marriage, a lifetime of opportunity awaits.

"He visto niñas casadas que viven una vida infeliz," asegura Rukaiyah, en Indonesia, quien soportó años de ridículo por negarse a casarse muy joven. "Hacía oídos sordos cuando mis amigas se burlaban de mí; me llamaban 'vieja virgen'". Ella, en cambio, dedicó su energía a apoyar los derechos de las mujeres y a crear su propio negocio de fabricación de chips. Hoy tiene amplio personal y una familia feliz. "Creo que las mujeres deben poder desarrollar sus talentos y aprovechar todas las oportunidades de cara al futuro", declara.

16 CAMPEONES DEL ACTIVISMO CONTRA LA VIOLENCIA DE GÉNERO

17 Nov 2018

Descubre a quienes luchan por los derechos de las mujeres en todo el mundo.

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS

is one of the most prevalent human rights violations in the world. An estimated one in three women will experience physical or sexual abuse in her lifetime, undermining her health, security and dignity. Gender-based violence restricts women’s economic and political participation. It disrupts the well-being of communities. And it threatens the prosperity of nations. On the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, meet 16 champions working to combat gender-based violence in their own countries, and their own ways.

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TUNISIA

“Many people are focusing on the tip of the iceberg. They are mobilized only when violence is extreme. People do not know that violence starts with discrimination. For me, gender discrimination is a ‘disease’ related to social origins. The majority of men and women are ‘healthy carriers’. If we want to fight gender-based violence, we must first and foremost fight discriminatory stereotypes that are rooted in early childhood, and are difficult to counteract.” – Dr. Hela Ouennich, Medical Doctor & Advocate

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PERU

“I aim to make our justice system more inclusive by strengthening its credibility and people’s trust in order to eradicate gender-based violence. But a common misconception about violence is that law by itself can solve this problem. If people do not internalize women’s social reality, if we do not visualize the great and multiple forms of violence that exist in our environment, we are not going to achieve great change. All citizens must be involved in fighting violence against women – from home, from the education system and from public organizations. It is time to deconstruct the stereotypes that sustain violence.” – Elvia Barrios Alvarado, Justice of Peace, Peru

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ECUADOR

“Gender-based violence against women with disabilities is prevalent, but we do not as a society acknowledge they exist, because to accept that would be to recognize social cruelty. Ignorance and prejudice about disabilities are barriers to actions that enforce traditional roles of gender and render ‘feminism’ a forbidden word. So far, feminism has not killed any men, but toxic masculinity does everyday.” – Paola Mera Zambrano, Technical Secretary of the National Counsel for Gender Equality, Ecuador

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PALESTINE

“People tend to think that gender-based violence entails only physical abuse. But survivors often consider psychological abuse and humiliation more devastating than physical assault. If you are harmed, don’t stay silent. Ask for help from someone you trust. It is normal to feel guilty or ashamed – it is not your fault. You have the right to get help to make it stop. You do not have to manage this on your own.” – Mariam Shaqura, Women’s Affairs Director, Red Crescent Society for Gaza Strip

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VIETNAM

“The perception that perpetrators have the right to commit violent acts has normalized violence against women and girls. Violence is not part of a man’s nature. It is something that becomes fostered and tolerated. We must respect people’s rights to freedom and to dignity, starting with our simplest and smallest actions.” – Tran Thi Bich Loan, Deputy Director of the Gender Equality Department, Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, Vietnam

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INDONESIA

“In Indonesia, violence against women is considered taboo – not to be discussed openly. Some survivors are afraid of retaliation from perpetrators. Data is crucial in the effort to promote women’s rights: from raising public awareness to policy making and evaluation. Data allows us to capture the various types of violence, prevalence, perpetrators, locations and background of women who experience it first-hand.” – Sri Danti Anwar, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, Indonesia

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TURKEY

“Many people are not aware of the different types of domestic violence, and they don’t know where to get support. People think that if a woman has a higher education or economic independence, she isn’t subjected to any form of violence. That is not true. I recommend that people learn the facts about domestic violence and share them everywhere.” – Sevda Alkan, Project Manager at Sabanci University Corporate Governance Forum

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UKRAINE

“Inaction regarding domestic violence leads to exceptional responsibility. If you are a state official or a citizen, do not be indifferent. Cooperate with the government, join forces with like-minded people and create non-governmental organizations. Express your opposition against domestic violence openly.” – Natalia Fedorovych, Deputy Minister of Social Policy

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PHILIPPINES

“There is a lot of stigma around sexual abuse in our society. Many do not report it because it’s taboo, and your and your family’s reputation suffers – not just your immediate family, but your extended family’s reputation suffers as well. This is why it’s an advocacy issue for me. Promoting awareness is critical.” – Dr. Nadhira Abdulcarim, Obstetrician-Gynaecologist

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TANZANIA

"When I was 13 years old, my parents told me I had to be cut. I begged them not to be cut, but they didn’t listen. I was afraid I would die like my friend Sabina. I tried to escape. I couldn’t. Since that day, I have been fighting to end female genital mutilation." – Rhobi Samwelly, Human Rights Activist & Founder of the Hope for Girls and Women Foundation

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BANGLADESH

“Since Bangladesh is a male-dominated society, there is still denial of official data that shows a high prevalence of violence against women. The majority of people see it as a private matter. People do not know it’s a public issue that violates human rights and has serious negative impacts on children, families and society. Speak up. Take action to bring the positive change.” – Mokhlesur Rahman, Additional Inspector General of Police, Bangladesh

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INDIA

“Popular culture plays an important role in perpetuating sexual harassment. Boys often use movie songs that promote stalking or that refer to girls as commodities to justify their behaviour and make obscene remarks. They feel that they are masculine only when they harass girls, but true masculinity is when they respect consent and understand that no means no.” – Sagina Sheikh, Community Advocate

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DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

“As a woman and a mother, I identify with the victims of sexual violence I serve in our protection department. As a police officer, I have witnessed the conflicts in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and have received cases of children and women who revolted. To those who want to help survivors of sexual violence, get to know the support services available to them. Break the silence.” – Chief Superintendent Françoise Munya Rugero, Deputy Director of the Civil Protection Police, Democratic Republic of the Congo

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ETHIOPIA

“The disadvantaged position of women and girls due to cultural barriers in our community is undermining their rights. Men still consider women as inferior, and we need to change this perception to address gender-based violence. As a social worker, I provide teaching that men and women are equal and I teach men not to discriminate against their wives and daughters.” – Belogn Mack, Social Worker

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PHILIPPINES

“When it comes to violence against women, we have a culture of silence. People try to forget the abuse and find ways to settle with survivors in whatever manner they want, whether it’s marriage or by payment. There are still a lot of unreported abuses, and it’s fulfilling when individuals come forward to seek help. I’m hopeful that this is just the beginning.” – Umme Kalsum Limbona, Social Worker

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PERU

“There are people who believe that rural and indigenous populations in Peru are archaic and tolerant to violence. Both justice and education officials have cultural biases that impact how they deal with cases. Many consider indigenous Amazonian cultures permissive of sexual violence, or they have a hypersexualized image of women from the Peruvian jungle. This is wrong. Communities have their own norms to address sexual violence. The State needs to recognize their notions of justice and build bridges with the local population to find a unique solution.” – Patricia Velarde, Ministry of Education, Peru

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AROUND THE WORLD

UNFPA works to further gender equality and women’s empowerment, and to address the physical and emotional consequences of gender-based violence. UNFPA's programmes offer psychosocial assistance, medical treatment and rape kits to survivors, and promote the right of all women and girls to live free of violence and abuse.

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