Yeukai talks about culture and child marriage

Eighteen-year-old Yeukai speaks about Zimbabwean traditions and child marriage at a girls’ empowerment training in Harare, Zimbabwe. Yeukai argued that the country's social ills were often blamed on traditional culture, leading people to use it as a scapegoat. This was a remnant of Zimbabwe's colonial legacy she argued. "We need our people to teach us about our culture," Yeukai said. "Our culture is who we are." The full day of activities included information about the consequences of early marriage, practice discussing the topic with friends, and a discussion of difficult issues including parental abuse – which can drive girls to seek refuge in marriage. Yeukai is in Form 6 and has been participating in Woman Advocacy Project (WAP) programs for over a year. “When I grow up, I want to be a human rights lawyer,” she told WAP. “I want to stand for women and for people with disabilities and albinism. Sometimes when I talk about injustice, people say ‘well that’s the way the world is,’ but I think no. Maybe I’m crazy, but I want to stand for justice.” Photo by Alex Kotowski, 2018 Peace Fellow, The Advocacy Project June 22, 2018 – Harare, Zimbabwe

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Uploader: The Advocacy Project