The 2020 International Women’s Day themed EachforEqual #GenerationEquality was marked by WISCAR with the screening of a documentary titled Money Marriage produced by Shucks Media in collaboration with Africa Business Radio, Impact Hub Lagos and Global Child Health. This celebration which takes place every year on the 8th of March kicked off with an opening remark by the Founder/Chairperson of WISCAR, Mrs. Amina Oyagbola.
The 18minutes documentary explored the harmful practice called “Money Marriage” taking place in some parts of Cross Rivers State Nigeria where female children as young as 3 months old are being sold as wives to either offset debts by their families or simply to garner extra money. The documentary which shared the stories of some of these women who are called “money women” showcased the severity of how much their basic human rights were infringed as they were not allowed access to basic education and even the right to vote. One of the Money women shared her story on how she was sold, revealing that she was sold by her maternal uncle to relieve the debt of her late father who did not pay a bride price for her mother. This is just one of the many heart-breaking stories these women shared, including the health risks associated with early sexual practice and child birth which often to death.
It is an understatement to say that this documentary left the audience emotional and sparked a heated discussion on the way forward following a short panel discussion around the documentary. Some of the documentary production crew members were called upon to share their thoughts &inspirations around the making of the documentary.
The session was very enlightening and impactful as speakers addressed the various ills women face as a result of early marriage. The major call to action were;
- Create awareness and speak up against forced Money Marriage, which is a kind of modern say slavery.
- Condemn categorically the act of forcing young girls into early marriage.
- Using social media as a tool to create more knowledge of the situation.
- Enforcing the Child Rights Act which has been domesticated in CRS.
- Advocating to relevant authorities to prosecute perpetrators of these unlawful act.
