We don’t really talk about child-brides. For the most part, it’s not an issue that directly affects us. We don’t think about it. It happens over there, not my state, not my town, not my neighborhood. We push it to the back of our minds, smile, and go about our lives. But, UNICEF has partnered with artist RL Grime in an attempt to raise awareness and change that. His song, Always, from his debut album, Void, provides the soundtrack to a piercing video that details a tragedy caused by a child marriage—and a message of hope.
Hope that could be provided by education, financial aid, and legal support for the more than 14 million children that are forced into marriage each year. The short film aired at the 24th Summit of the African Union, a conference with a theme of women’s empowerment, in conjunction with the #ENDChildMarriageNOW campaign. RL Grime’s film is by no means a cure for the child marriage epidemic, but that was never its purpose. The goal, the artist claims, is to make it impossible for us to ignore the issue any longer, and he hopes it will “help shed light on a very real world topic.”
The video, at the same time, also shows an alternative story full of hope. It portrays the crucial role education can play in empowering girls and the collective change needed in the society to end child marriage
RL Grime wants us, the dance community, to dance with a purpose. Let us know your ideas to help, or support the initiative by either posting in the comments, on our Facebook, or Tweet at us with the #ENDChildMarriageNOW hashtag.
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