The United Nations recalled this week, in a press release published on Tuesday 4 April, that in Niger, ” girls have the right to be protected from early marriage “. This is the reaction of the UN after the death of a 16-year-old girl.
Nazira was found in early March, hanging from a tree in her village of Daré, in the Zinder region, in the south of the country. The UN statement explains that “ According to local sources, Nazira committed suicide following a forced marriage. »
In Niger, each year, 75% of young brides are minors, 28% of whom are under 16 years old. Despite a political will to improve the condition of women, early marriages persist and lead to desperate acts.
“UNICEF reported to us a few days ago, this time a suicide attempt in Maradi. There, the girl was able to escape. She tried to poison herself with a toxic liquid and she was able to be brought to a health center and she was saved. She escaped the tragedy but it is a problem here in Niger, and the government is perfectly aware of it. At the legislative level, there is still a law which authorizes the marriage of young girls from the age of 15. The government is working on the reform of this law. In the Constitution, there are nevertheless measures where it is clearly indicated that marriage can only be made on the basis of consent. The government has clearly indicated its desire to reduce or eliminate discrimination based on gender, but I think what is most important – this is the whole debate – is that it is a problem for society. It must start there, with civil society, with the different communities, with religious leaders, traditional leaders where there is still a lot of resistance to change.” underlines Emmanuel Gignac, acting resident coordinator of the United Nations system.
To listen: Early marriages in Niger