54 marieclaire.com.auETHIOPIA
“Addisu, an Ethiopian priest, married Destaye
when she was 11. When she had her first child at 15,
she didn’t have access to medical care and she
haemorrhaged a lot during their child’s delivery.
Addisu was shocked and worried – he was seeing
child marriage repercussions firsthand.
He’s become an elder in the community, and
now advocates against the practice. This is an
example of how change can happen.”NIGERIA
“Hassana and Hussaina, 14, are twin girls who were abducted
at the age of 11. We heard a lot about the Chibok girls, but
thousands of other girls were also abducted to be ‘wed’ to
Boko Haram fighters. The abuse is so extreme – I’ve never
heard stories as horrific as these girls described. Thankfully,
Hassana and Hussaina succeeded in their plan to escape.”INDIA
“This is one of my favourite
images. It was a beautiful
moment. When Ritu saw the
rain outside, she climbed on
the roof of her home for an
impromptu bathing. Ritu, 21, was
a teenager when her cousin
declared his wish to marry her.
She refused his proposal and he
immediately attacked her with
acid. She was disfigured and
lost one eye. Ritu works in
Agra, near the Taj Mahal, at a
cafe run by the charity Stop
Acid Attacks, which educates
the public on these crimes.”PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHANIE SINCLAIR. TEXT BY KATIE BREEN.WORLD REPORT
‘‘She refused
[her cousin’s]proposal and he
immediately
attacked her
with acid”