Female chiefs in Malawi wage war against child marriages

Juveniles who were placed on sex offender registries, some for crimes they committed before they were even teens, face a slew of life changing consequences that follows them for the rest of their life: “depression, addiction, suicidal thoughts, and other signs of post-traumatic stress.” Many will struggle to find a job, others will get targeted and harassed, some, overwhelmed by the pressure, have ended their life. Parents, legal scholars, and activists are pushing back against the notion that children, under the law, should be tried as mini adults.

Maria Adelaide Rescue Centre shelters girls who are escaping the practice of female genital mutilation and early marriage. The girls, who often have harrowing stories of escape, are provided a safe place to live and go to school. If possible, the Centre will work with village chiefs and family members to ensure the girls are protected and are able to get an education. The Center follows up and monitors girls’ progress and also educates community members on the dangers of FGM and child marriage.

The 43-year-old Indian Child Welfare Act continues to make a "profound" difference to Native American families and tribes, despite being under frequent legal attacks. The law limits the placement of Native children in non-Native foster or adoptive homes, to preserve families and Native culture. Helping parents stabilize their families is preferred over removing children. Native children are still removed from their families and culture at disproportionately high rates. But a review of 40 cases handled by the ICWA Law Center in Minnesota showed "clear benefit for the children it is designed to protect."

To promote the need to end intersex surgery, an organization launched a multi-pronged campaign that raised awareness about the potentially damaging impacts of the practice. The group used social media, created a petition, and held protests outside of a local hospital – all of which resulted in the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago issuing an apology and declaring that "they will no longer be performing intersex surgeries unless absolutely medically necessary moving forward." Throughout the world, similar awareness efforts have also garnered positive outcomes.

A practice in Johannesburg is making the courtroom and trial process less scary for sexually abused children by letting them play the role of court officials alongside therapy dogs in a pretend court. The Teddy Bear Foundation, responsible for this role play activity, wants children to be less scared but also prepared for their day in court when it comes.

Sometimes you have to see something is possible before you can do it yourself. For Tel Aviv’s city officers, it took a trip to Copenhagen to understand that each of them, no matter their office, could do something to make their city better for young children.

In the 1900s Lewis Hine posed as a bible salesman so he could get inside factories and take pictures of child workers. At the time children from 10-15 were put to work, and had no legal protections. Years later his pictures became a catalyst for passing child labor laws.

In order to address child abuse and neglect community members got together to form: R.O.C.K Mat Su, a collaborative organization composed of several organizations that has “teamed up with government agencies, schools and judges to develop a comprehensive solution.” So far, they have been able to train 10 schools to become trauma informed schools, trained over 2,000 people in the community, and created an alternative judicial court for children that prioritizes family reunification.

SOS Children's Villages is a non-profit group that services more than 80,000 kids. Their successful model emphasizes love, family, and relationships, even though the children aren't being raised in a "traditional" family.

In some rural parts of Guatemala, "more than half the girls...marry before the age of 18." While a coalition of organizations was able to lobby lawmakers, and raise the legal marriage age to 18, real changes happened at the community level when mentors engaged with girls.