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Champions to End Child Marriage in Africa
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Champions leading to end child marriage in Africa

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Portrait of Luyela L. Gauthier, director of the Department of Child Protection at the Ministry of Women in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

What parent doesn’t stare down at a newborn baby and fantasize about the child’s future?

Certainly, parents in the Democratic Republic of Congo do that, but too often their first thoughts are of the infant’s marriage, rather than the baby’s childhood, education or professional pursuits, says Mr. Luyela, director of the country’s Department of Child Protection at the Ministry of Women.

“Especially when she is a girl we say, ‘This baby girl, I will marry her. I will find her a husband,’ ” said Luyela. “And this exists in my tradition. But now today, even parents who live in the rural regions, they change their point of view.”

Nearly 40 percent of girls in the DRC are married before adulthood, so the country is at the beginning of a very long road to change, he said.

“But I think if our community leaders and our traditional leaders, they get conscious and they start to be sensitized, we will get over the phenomenon. And that will help to eradicate child marriage,” he said.

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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Stephanie Sinclair
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www.stephaniesinclair.com
Portrait of Luyela L. Gauthier, director of the Department of Child Protection at the Ministry of Women in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). <br /> <br /> What parent doesn’t stare down at a newborn baby and fantasize about the child’s future?<br /> <br /> Certainly, parents in the Democratic Republic of Congo do that, but too often their first thoughts are of the infant’s marriage, rather than the baby’s childhood, education or professional pursuits, says Mr. Luyela, director of the country’s Department of Child Protection at the Ministry of Women.<br /> <br /> “Especially when she is a girl we say, ‘This baby girl, I will marry her. I will find her a husband,’ ” said Luyela. “And this exists in my tradition. But now today, even parents who live in the rural regions, they change their point of view.”<br /> <br /> Nearly 40 percent of girls in the DRC are married before adulthood, so the country is at the beginning of a very long road to change, he said.<br /> <br /> “But I think if our community leaders and our traditional leaders, they get conscious and they start to be sensitized, we will get over the phenomenon. And that will help to eradicate child marriage,” he said.<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.