[Survivor series] My friend would have been a victim of child marriage had I not intervened

I am Rani (name changed) and am studying in the 10th grade. When I grow up, I want to be an army officer.

As a participant in the STEM for Girls programme by IBM, I take part in all the activities conducted by the programme. The initiative comprises a digital fluency and life skills curriculum designed to help girls in government secondary schools break gender stereotypes and explore the possibilities of STEM-enabled careers. The 40-hour curriculum goes beyond coding to include life skills, gender issues, digital literacy, and career development.

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During the pandemic, the STEM for Girls programme in my school conducted a webinar on child protection rights. At the discussion, students were asked to share their views and they asked many useful questions about punitive measures, legal procedures for an arrest, and how to file a police complaint regarding child marriages.

I was very keen to learn, and actively participated in the discussion and shared my experiences with the facilitators about issues related to girl-child abuse.

After a few months, I found out that my friend was going to get married. Since I was aware of the laws pertaining to child marriage, I contacted the STEM for Girls facilitator for an intervention to prevent my friend’s marriage. 

I gathered all the information about my friend and provided the facilitator with an image as proof that she was engaged.

Using my information, the facilitator was able to report the impending wedding to various child rights organisations. With assistance from government agencies and nonprofit organisations, I eventually succeeded in preventing my friend’s child marriage.