Memory Banda: A warrior’s cry against child marriage
ميموري باندا: صرخة محارب ضد زواج الأطفال
Memory Banda is a tireless leader for girls’ rights, in Malawi and around the world. Full bio
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the collection of poetry that we wrote,
التي كتبناها
"I'll Marry When I Want."
to initiation camps.
to sexually please a man.
by the community
من قبل المجتمع
she ended up being pregnant.
الأمر حاملا
to the initiation camp.
to the initiation camps."
إلى مخيمات التأهيل"
of our society, of our community."
where I was going.
a little something to my community.
ولو كان أمرا بسيطا لمجتمعي.
Your little sister has a baby.
وأختك الصغيرة لها طفل
that I was hearing every day,
that girls hear every day
that the community needs them to do.
between me and my sister,
that has happened for a long time
ما حدث لفترة طويلة
forgotten how to read and write.
remind each other
how to read, to hold the book."
their personal stories,
قصصهن الشخصية
التي تحدث لنا
that are happening to us
our traditional leaders,
and said no girl has to be married
not just in my community,
ليس فقط في مجتمعنا
was being presented in February,
في فبراير،
of Parliament were entering,
"Would you please support the bill?"
دعم مشروع القانون "
much technology like here,
their numbers and text them?"
أرقامهم ثم نراسلهم"
we texted them back,
راسلناهم ثانية
by the president,
marriage age, from 15 to 18.
للزواج بعد سن 15
that the bill passed,
تمت المصادقة عليه
is the legal marriage age,
of women and girls every day?
والفتيات كل يوم؟
are being wasted away.
to honor their commitment.
at heart every time.
القلب كل حين
as we are in this room,
نحن في هذه الغرفة
we are not just girls,
until it is enforced?
حتى يتم فرضها
have been there,
at the local level,
at the community level every day.
على مستوى المجتمع المحلي في كل يوم.
that there are laws that protect them,
أن هناك قوانين تحميهنّ
and defend themselves
there is a law that protects them.
الفتيات في أماكن أخرى
not to marry whilst 11.
عدم الزواج في سن 11
end child marriage in a generation.
بعد جيل واحد
and millions of girls worldwide,
وملايين الفتيات حول العالم
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Memory Banda - ActivistMemory Banda is a tireless leader for girls’ rights, in Malawi and around the world.
Why you should listen
Memory Banda is a tireless leader for girls' rights around the world. She is leading Malawi's fight to end child marriage through her work with Let Girls Lead and the Girl Empowerment Network of Malawi.
Only 18-years-old, Memory championed a succesful national campaign that culminated in landmark legislation that outlawed child marriage. Memory works with girl leaders to ensure that village chiefs ban child marriage, end sexual initiation practices, enable girls to finish school and live safe from violence in a country where more than half of girls are married as children.
Memory became an advocate for girls after her younger sister was forced into marriage at the age of 11. She is now a college student in Malawi.
Memory Banda | Speaker | TED.com