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Champions leading to end child marriage in Africa

Portrait of Hademine Ely, religious leader, Mauritania.

Championing the rights of children comes naturally to Hademine Ely, a father of eight who was a primary school teacher long before he became the imam at a mosque in Mauritania’s capital city, Nouakchott.

“For me . . . religion is against harmful practices, and all those practices, they are against religion, especially when we don’t allow girls to go to school, especially when we force a young girl to get married,” said Ely, who heads the Imams and Religious Leaders Network for Child Rights. “My work is to clarify to people that child marriage is not part of our beliefs. It’s a harmful practice regarding the girl. . . . Each thing that harms the body . . . is forbidden in Islam, so, that’s why we as Muslims should forbid and eradicate child marriage and those harmful practices.”

For a portrait series on champions leading to end child marriage in Africa. All images made at the first-ever African Girls’ Summit on Ending Child Marriage, held in Lusaka, Zambia. The meeting aimed to facilitate exchange of good practices and challenges in ending child marriage, and to secure and renew commitments from African stakeholders.

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Copyright: Stephanie Sinclair
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Portrait of Hademine Ely, religious leader, Mauritania. <br />
<br />
Championing the rights of children comes naturally to Hademine Ely, a father of eight who was a primary school teacher long before he became the imam at a mosque in Mauritania’s capital city, Nouakchott.<br />
<br />
“For me . . . religion is against harmful practices, and all those practices, they are against religion, especially when we don’t allow girls to go to school, especially when we force a young girl to get married,” said Ely, who heads the Imams and Religious Leaders Network for Child Rights. “My work is to clarify to people that child marriage is not part of our beliefs. It’s a harmful practice regarding the girl. . . . Each thing that harms the body . . . is forbidden in Islam, so, that’s why we as Muslims should forbid and eradicate child marriage and those harmful practices.”<br />
<br />
For a portrait series on champions leading to end child marriage in Africa. All images made at the first-ever African Girls’ Summit on Ending Child Marriage, held in Lusaka, Zambia. The meeting aimed to facilitate exchange of good practices and challenges in ending child marriage, and to secure and renew commitments from African stakeholders.

Stephanie Sinclair

Champions leading to end child marriage in Africa