03 Oct She Died on Her Wedding Night
A few weeks ago I read about Rawan, the 8-year-old girl in Yemen who was forced to marry a 40-year-old man. She died on her wedding night as a result of injuries sustained from forced intercourse.
I am outraged! Because I have seen the horror of this situation myself. A girl like Rawan has no voice. She is treated like a possession, a bargaining chip. And she’s robbed of her childhood — sometimes even her life.
That’s why I founded the Unstoppable Foundation. I believe we MUST give girls a voice. And we do that by opening up the doors to education. In the countries where we work — like the country where Rawan lived and died — an educated girl has choices. She can work and earn a living. She can care for her family and be a voice in her community. And she can say “NO!” to early marriage that could destroy her life.
I am passionate about giving girls a voice through education. I have seen the powerful impact it has. I have talked to girls and heard their “before and after” stories. But I can’t do it alone. The problem is huge. I started the Unstoppable Foundation to give girls like Rawan a better chance at life, and living a fulfilling and prosperous life. There are thousands more girls just like Rawan who need our help to give them a tomorrow — it’s both possible and imperative.
Did you know that for just $1 a day — $365 for a year — you can give a girl a future? Let’s stop the horror that caused the death of an eight-year-old girl. Let’s be the voice that says, “No more.” Together we can end this outrage. Every day, every dollar, is another day a girl is in school and building a future that is just and secure — and where she is valued for who she is and what she can contribute to her community.
You can change history for girls trapped in societies where they have no voice. Where they are forced into atrocities that make our hearts break. So for Rawan’s sake, let’s change it — together.
With love and appreciation,
Cynthia Kersey
Bestselling author, “Unstoppable”
www.unstoppable.net
Chief Humanitarian Officer
Unstoppable Foundation
www.UnstoppableFoundation.org