Beyond companies: No to early marriage
In addition to creating businesses, women in savings groups are breaking the cycle of early marriage. During a group discussion, half of them raised their hands when asked if they had been married before the age of 18, while the other half, like Seniya, had rejected early marriage proposals.
Despite the difficulties, Seniya is determined to raise awareness in her community about the dangers of early marriage. “I want to teach others not to get married early, but to achieve something first.
“I said no at 16 because I saw my friends and my mother struggling to get married young,” Seniya shares. Her mother married at 15 and had Seniya at 16.
“I didn’t want to grow up with my son. I want to be a mother, not just a mother,” says Seniya.
CARE’s training on early marriage gave these young women the tools to take control of their future.
