On Sept. 20, 2011, an announcement to initiate a new global effort to end child marriage was made at the 2011 Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting. This announcement highlighted the serious issue that directly affects 10 million girls in many countries every year. The program will aim at bringing to an end an evil tradition that has been followed since a long time in many countries.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Mary Robinson of The Elders, Ford Foundation President Luis Ubinas, and NoVo Foundation President and Co-Chair Jennifer Buffett together announced the initiative entitled ‘Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage.’
On the occasion, Archbishop Tutu said that child marriage is “a practice that robs millions of girls of their childhood, their rights and their dignity. I find it astounding that this issue does not receive far greater attention. Together, we and our partners commit to working together to end it.”
