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Date: Fri, 04 Jun 2004 11:17:33 +0000
From: Molly Melching <[log in to unmask]>

MARCH AGAINST EARLY MARRIAGE IN MATAM

Yesterday, June 4, 2004, the community of Polel Diawbé (Department of Kanel,
Region of Matam) held a peaceful demonstration throughout the streets of the
village protesting the forced marriage of a 10 year old girl, Khadia LY, who
is now enrolled in elementary school.  Her father is presently working in
Ivory Coast and had the marriage to his nephew performed in the mosque of
the village.

The participants of the Tostan-Unicef education class in collaboration with
the Community Management Committee organized this march against early and
forced marriage which is a common practice throughout this northern region
of Senegal. The Director of the school in Polel Diawbé, the teachers, and
all of the students joined in, expressing their frustration with this
harmful traditional practice.  One teacher explained that last year, one of
the brightest girls in the school was given in marriage and pulled out of
school to join her husband.  "We have to stop this practice and the only way
is for the entire community to speak out and refuse this before it happens
again," said Abdou Rabi Sow, Khadia's teacher.  The villagers have tried to
contact the father to peacefully negotiate a solution.

The community has also decided to end the practice of Female Genital
Cutting, a harmful and dangerous practice which compromises the future of
their daughters.  They carried signs which read "Parents, have pity!  No
more excision!  No more early marriage! No more forced marriage!"

The villagers traveled to the town of Matam to invite local journalists to
attend their march in this village of 2,666 people of the Toucouleur ethnic
group. The story was reported on June 5 on Sud National Radio and RTS,
citing the Tostan-Unicef class members as the organizers of this peaceful
protest.

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