Memory Banda: A warrior’s cry against child marriage
ממורי בנדה: זעקתה של לוחמת נגד נישואי ילדות
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,
אוסף השירים שכתבנו,
"I'll Marry When I Want."
"אני אתחתן מתי שאני רוצה"
מגיעות ממנו,
העניות ביותר,
to initiation camps.
to sexually please a man.
by the community
שהילדות הקטנות הללו
she ended up being pregnant.
to the initiation camp.
to the initiation camps."
of our society, of our community."
של הקהילה שלנו".
where I was going.
a little something to my community.
משהו קטן לקהילה שלי.
Your little sister has a baby.
לאחותך הקטנה יש תינוק.
that I was hearing every day,
that girls hear every day
that the community needs them to do.
צריכה שהן יעשו.
between me and my sister,
שלי ושל אחותי,
that has happened for a long time
שקורה כבר המון זמן
forgotten how to read and write.
לקרוא או לכתוב.
remind each other
להזכיר אחת לשנייה
how to read, to hold the book."
איך להחזיק את הספר".
their personal stories,
הסיפורים האישים שלהן
that are happening to us
את כל הדברים שקורים לנו
our traditional leaders,
מנהיגי המסורות שלנו,
and said no girl has to be married
לא צריכה להתחתן
not just in my community,
לא רק בקהילה שלי,
was being presented in February,
הוצגה בפברואר,
of Parliament were entering,
"Would you please support the bill?"
לתמוך בחוק?"
much technology like here,
their numbers and text them?"
את המספרים שלהם ולסמס להם?"
we texted them back,
סימסנו להם בחזרה,
by the president,
marriage age, from 15 to 18.
לנישואין מ15-18.
that the bill passed,
שהצעת החוק עברה,
is the legal marriage age,
לנישואין הוא 18,
of women and girls every day?
זעקות של נשים וילדות בכל יום?
are being wasted away.
to honor their commitment.
את המחוייבות שלהם.
at heart every time.
קרוב לליבם כל הזמן.
במקום השני,
as we are in this room,
כאן בחדר,
we are not just girls,
until it is enforced?
עד שהוא נאכף?
have been there,
at the local level,
ברמה המקומית,
at the community level every day.
קשים, ברמה הקהילתית בכל יום.
that there are laws that protect them,
ידעו שיש חוקים המגנים עליהן,
and defend themselves
there is a law that protects them.
בכל מקום צריכות:
not to marry whilst 11.
לא להתחתן בעודן בנות 11.
end child marriage in a generation.
את נישואי הילדים בתוך דור אחד.
and millions of girls worldwide,
מיליוני ילדות בכל העולם,
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