To commemorate the International Day of the Girl on October 11th which the United Nations adopted to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face, while promoting girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights, Cedaw Association for Democracy and Human Rights is conducting an awareness raising campaign in various Egyptian governorates, and in partnership with development associations working with women.

Entitled "We must stand by her - not before 18", the campaign includes series of seminars aimed at girls aged 12 and over, women and grandmothers, and focusing on the subject of early marriage, the social, psychological and legal factors it entails, the threat it poses to girls they marry before reaching 18, which is the legal age for signing a marriage contract.  

 The campaign will also shed lights on the efforts of various stakeholders to eliminate the ‘’crime’’ of forcing children into marriage, as the different measures that citizens must take to confront this national problem which puts Egyptian children at risk.

The seminars will be facilitated by Professor of Psychological Education Jihan Cherkaoui and Attorney Safaa Ali, president of Cedaw Association.

The campaign runs from 11 to 31 October 2018 according to a time schedule to be implemented by volunteers and coordinators in Alexandria, Beni Suef, Menoufia and Dakahlia.

These seminars are conducted in partnership with the branches of the National Council for Women in the targeted governorates, the Alexandria Women’s Association for Development and the Mothers of Egypt and the Arab World Project.