LEARN6

I chose the story "American girls raise awareness and money to fight child marriage in four countries" from WomenWatch.

First you should get an impression of my favorite story:

Every day, girls as young as five years old are robbed of their childhood because they cease being girls and become brides.
However, thousands of American girls between the ages of 13 and 18 who are outraged after learning about child marriage are working to fight it.
These girls are raising awareness and funds to help the UN Foundation's Girl Up campaign support programmes in four countries: Ethiopia, Liberia, Malawi, and Guatemala.
Dianne Penn spoke to Gina Reiss-Wilchins, Director of the Girl Up campaign, who says there are many reasons why girls get married so young.

My explanation:

Poverty is a critical factor contributing to child marriage and a common reason why parents may encourage a child to marry. Where poverty is acute, a young girl may be regarded as an economic burden and her marriage to a much older - sometimes even elderly - man is believed to benefit the child and her family both financially and socially. In communities where child marriage is practiced marriage is regarded as a transaction, often representing a significant economic activity for a family. A daughter may be the only commodity a family has left to be traded and sometimes girls can be used as currency or to settle debts. A girl's marriage may also take place as a perceived means of creating stability. In uncertain times, poor harvest conditions or war, a family may believe it is necessary to ensure the economical 'safety' of their daughter and family, through marriage.
In Africa the monetary value of bride price, or bride wealth, is linked with marriage. Bride price is a sum, either in cash or kind, used to purchase a bride for her labour and fertility.
In the context of poverty, the practice of paying bride price can encourage early marriage. Young girls, a resource with which their parents can attain greater wealth, are married off a young age, for the bride price and also as a way for parents to lessen their economic burdens.
Dominant notions of morality and honour are important factors encouraging the practice of child marriage. These are influenced great by the importance placed on maintaining 'family honour' and the high value placed on a girl's virginity. It is considered that shame would be cast on a family if a girl was not a virgin when she marries. Therefore, in order to ensure that a girl's virtue remains in tact, girls may be married earlier, in order to ensure their virginity. Young girls may also be encouraged to marry older men, due to the perception that an older husband will be able to act as a guardian against behaviour deemed immoral and inappropriate.
These marriages are very harmful for these girls, therefore, American girls started a campaign to stop it. They started clubs and communities to raise money for them. The outrage and the different opportunity motivated them!

I have found a further organization which come through for the "Child Marriage":

FORWARD, with other organisations working in the field of the child and women's rights has developed programmes aimed at eradicating this practice and realising the rights of the girl child. In several African countries FORWARD has programmes to address violations of the rights of girls and women which contribute to their low socio economic status and other causal factors of child marriage. In Northern Nigeria FORWARD has established clinics to treat girls and women with obstetric fistula and runs income-generating schemes and other initiatives to improve their social and economic status and well-being. Lessons learnt from this programme have highlighted the importance of a holistic approach to addressing child marriage, necessitating integrated education, health, economic and participatory community development programmes.

FORWARD and the Forum on Marriage and the Rights of Women and Girls

FORWARD was instrumental in launching the Forum on Marriage and the Rights of Women and Girls, in November 1998. The forum was established to share experiences of research and programme work on issues of forced and early marriage. Through a global network the forum aims to improve approaches to work on this issue and develop common strategies.

There are many comparable organizations in these premises. I hope we can improve the situation and will take action further!