Weddings are something so many girls look forward to. But it is something they hope to have in their future, not their present. Child marriage is a serious problem in the world. This photo project is working to expose people to the truth.
Too Young to Wed is a nonprofit organization that aims to stop child marriage. According to Girls Not Brides (GNB), 15 million girls are married before the age of 18.
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You may think that the problem is far away, but child marriage does not just happen in developing countries. GNB states that in the United States alone, about 248,000 children had been married between the years 2000 and 2010. 25 states do not have a minimum age below which a child is not allowed to marry.
This terrifying problem inspired Stephanie Sinclair to create the nonprofit Too Young to Wed in 2012.
The Photo Project
The photo workshop aims to raise awareness while also empowering the survivors of child marriage. The survivors are given a camera and taught some basic photography skills. They then pair up with other young girls and share their stories, however much in depth they choose to. After they feel a bit more comfortable with each other, they begin to photograph each other.
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In an interview with NPR, Stephanie Sinclair said, “The workshop ended up being a form of art therapy, a way to help the girls feel confident that their voice matters.”
The photos are truly stunning and capture the vulnerability and the strength within each girl.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BbxcgJIhNDe/?taken-by=tooyoungtowed
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This project is nothing but positive. Child marriage and female genital mutilation are serious problems in the world. Stephanie Sinclair’s organization and workshops are amazing steps in the right direction. Let’s keep taking steps and end it all together.
Check out this article you can see people’s raw reactions to a man flaunting his ‘child bride’ off to the public.
