Poignant Film Showcases Child Brides' Stories

Despite the fact that the practice of child marriage has been on a decline around the world during the past decade, the phenomenon — which is more common among girls than boys — continues to be a huge global problem. Regardless of gender, this harmful practice is a violation of human rights. It robs young girls’ childhood and adolescence, putting them at risk of domestic violence and contracting certain diseases, limiting their educational opportunities and thus, threatening their future and career lives, and turning them into mothers while they are children themselves.

The phenomenon is widely spread in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, and the most affected countries are Niger, Chad, Bangladesh, Guinea, Mozambique, and Mali. Sadly, the list is much longer. And Nigeria is no stranger to this situation. The most populous country in Africa, Nigeria, is home to an estimated 22 million child brides. To raise awareness about this “silent epidemic” that prevents young girls from having a better future, SAGE Foundation — a non-profit organization that’s committed to empowering women and girls — launched the “Just a Girl” campaign that centers on the girls affected by this phenomenon and the women who are doing the best they can to prevent this issue from spreading.

Hoping to bring this social plague closer to an end, the organization’s weapons of choice are a petition to change legislation and ban child marriage in the country and a poignant video that walks viewers through the stories of some girls who became brides too early. Shot in Lagos, directed by Yassa Khan of Camp Productions, and edited by Sam Hopkins, Lead Editor at Engine, the film features young girls — whose lives have been completely changed because of marriage — speaking about their experiences of child marriage.

While all of the protagonists wish to be attending school classes and continue their education, they are all in a position they don’t know how to deal with: Raising kids when they are children themselves and being wives to husbands they don’t know much about. Besides featuring these girls’ heart-breaking testimonials, the short, emotional video also features the women who are working on abolishing the laws that allow this to happen and those who keep on providing education to these young girls, so that they can pave a better future for themselves.

Commenting on the campaign, Naza Alakija, Founder & CEO Sage Foundation, says: “At Sage Foundation, we focus on supporting grassroots organizations that elevate and empower women and girls, and ensure they have access to the quality education they deserve.”

“We are deeply grateful to the brave girls that spoke to us about their experience of child marriage for our film JUST A GIRL. All of them were mothers, even though they were still children themselves. They all deserved a full life of learning and growth but felt it had been cut short and taken away from them. We worked with Bella Foundation to ensure they could go back to their education, but millions of young girls in Nigeria will be unable to return as soon as they become brides. One of the most effective ways to prevent child marriage is to keep girls in school, to allow them to reach their potential, and to show their societies and communities just what remarkable things they are capable of,” continues Alakija.

Sam Hopkins, Lead Editor Engine, explains: “‘Just A Girl’ was a deeply affecting and immersive experience for me, something that I threw myself into. Seeing and hearing what these young girls have to go through is heartbreaking and, as an editor, I wanted to help Yassa and SAGE create a powerful and compelling story that would not only raise awareness about the issues these girls face but also spur people into taking action and creating change.”

“Yassa’s approach visually was to create something visceral and contrasting, that would show the brutal and fragile nature of these stories but also ensure you paid attention to every word being said. That gave me the opportunity to really hone in on pacing, shot selection, and technique when editing and create something that would do these stories justice. It’s a film and campaign I’m immensely proud to be a part of,” concludes the editor.

The other tool the organization plans to use to fulfill its plans is the petition we mentioned earlier, which was launched in partnership with young activists It’s Never Your Fault. Aiming to reach 500,000 signatures and hosted via Change.org, the petition is calling on lawmakers in the Nigeria Senate and House of Representatives to make the constitution clearer on child marriage in the country, as a loophole in the legislation allows such marriages to happen lawfully, with no consequences.

The film campaign launched on April 6th on the organization’s social media pages, as well as YouTube and Vimeo. The initiative is planned to be accompanied by a digital OOH campaign visible across several prime sites in London, Manchester, and Birmingham, areas of the UK that host the highest Nigerian populations.