Mina's Early Marriage is the first episode of Teacher Malalai Adventures in which the teacher faces the phenomenon of early marriage in Afghanistan. Her student Mina, a 13 years old girl, is forced to abandon the school because her parents arranged her marriage but Teacher Malalai is determined to find a solution to support Mina's dream to become a doctor.
Girls who are forced into early marriages are at much higher risk of suffering from sexual and domestic violence and suffer multiple problems in their future development including isolation, health problems and lack of education.
The Teacher Malalai Adventures is a project presented by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in partnership with the Ministry of Women Affairs (MoWA) of Afghanistan.
Violence Against Women (VAW) is a grave reality in the lives of Afghan women. For many women, violence commences during childhood and can extend throughout their lives. Fathers, husbands, brothers, relatives-in-law, and other family members are among key perpetrators of such violence, which can range from female infanticide to spousal abuse, which regularly results in suicide.
Women are reluctant to discuss abuse, and accept it as part of life. Studies confirm that the overall level of VAW in Afghanistan is high; according to various studies, up to 87.2% of women experience at least one form of physical, sexual or psychological violence, or forced marriage, and up to 62.0%, experience multiple forms of violence. VAW is more pervasive in the provinces, with levels and forms of violence differing from one province to another.
UNFPA Afghanistan is providing technical advisory support to the Gender Department of the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) to integrate the coordinated community response (CCR) into the GBV strategy. The CCR is a strategy promoting public intervention to address GBV cases. It is based on the idea that efficiency of addressing the various needs of GBV victims by public institutions (healthcare facilities, law enforcement bodies, other relevant state bodies, community organizations, informal groups) increases with stronger cooperation, and a coordinated system of intervention in GBV cases. Coordinated community response ensures that GBV victims receive multiple level protection and services immediately after applying for assistance, or being identified.
In a society like Afghanistan, where women's mobility in the public space is strictly limited, the coordinated community approach and the direct support of health service providers, is crucial for reaching out to larger numbers of women and increasing the security and well-being of victims.
Read/Downlaod:
MINA'S EARLY MARRIAGE - BOOK - PASHTO
MINA'S EARLY MARRIAGE - BOOK - DARI
MINA'S EARLY MARRIAGE - POSTER - PASHTO
MINA'S EARLY MARRIAGE - POSTER - DARI
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