A2: Children & youth-2

A2 ACTIVITIES TO REVEAL HIDDEN ISSUES

Awareness
raising
Community drama on child/early

Children &
youth
marriage

Climate &
environ-
ment
Why use this activity?
Early marriage destroys children’s lives. It is very
common in some places. It can be difficult for

Conflict &

building
people to see that it is wrong, because it might be

peace-
something that has happened for generations.
Drama can be an excellent way of communicating
a message. This drama helps communicate why

Corruption &
governance
child marriage is so harmful, and that it is
something that can be challenged and stopped.

Disaster risk
Explaining the words we

manage-
A brief description

ment
A drama script with questions for discussion.
use
Child – someone less than 18 years old
Child or early marriage: a marriage

ination &
inclusion
Discrim-
You will need between a child and someone else.
Drama: a story that is acted out.
 A group of people to act out the drama
Street drama: a drama performed in a
 Objects such as household items to use in
public place such as a market, a street

livelihoods
Food &
the drama (these are not essential)
or shopping centre.

What to do Gender &

violence
sexual
The script below is adapted from a street drama, written by LAMB, a Tearfund partner in
Bangladesh. Please adapt it to suit your context. You can change the names of people and
places to names that are common in your country, and change the currency (money) to
whatever currency is used in your context. Use language that people will understand. You
Health &
HIV

may be able to think of other ways to make it more appropriate for your community.

 Decide who will play the different roles.

Influencing

 Rehearse the drama so that everyone knows what they need to say and do.
decision-
makers

 Decide where and when you will perform the drama. Will you do street drama? Or organise
a meeting in a community building where the drama will be performed? Or perform it as
part of church service or community meeting that is already happening?
Migration &
trafficking
sanitation &
hygiene
Water,

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 A2: Children & youth-2

A2 COMMUNITY DRAMA ON CHILD/EARLY MARRIAGE

The script
Awareness
raising

Characters:
Jorina and Madhobi - 2 girls of about 13 years of age
Marriage Mediator
Children &

Headman
youth

Jorina’s mother
Tripty - a lady in the village
Saeedi – member of local self-help group
Climate &
environ-
ment

[Two girls are playing together and having fun.]

Conflict &
building
peace-

Jorina: Good bye, my friend, I’ll see you in school.

Madhobi: Good bye, Jorina.
Corruption &
governance

[Madhobi exits. Marriage Mediator enters and sees Jorina walking along the road.]

Marriage Mediator: Oh! What a beautiful girl I see! The Headman/Chairman/Village Chief1
told me to find a girl for his son. I’ll tell him about this girl.
Disaster risk
manage-
ment

Dear sweet girl, please listen to me, what is your name?

Jorina: Why are you asking, uncle? Why do you want to know my name?
inclusion
ination &
Discrim-

Marriage Mediator: Dear, please tell me your name and your father’s name.

Jorina: My name is Jorina. And my father’s name is Kuddus.

livelihoods
Food &

Marriage Mediator: Oh! You are Kuddus’ daughter from VullarDanga. Go to school my
child, I’ll tell the Headman about you.
Gender &
violence
sexual

[Jorina departs. The Marriage Mediator goes to find the Headman]

Marriage Mediator: Greetings Mr Headman! Please come here.

Health &
HIV

Headman: My friend, how are you?

Marriage Mediator: Dear Headman, I have something very important to tell you. Do you
Influencing

know Kuddus of VullarDanga? I’ve chosen his daughter for your son.
decision-
makers

What do you think?

Migration &
trafficking

1
Use whichever term is most relevant in your context – or choose a different term.
sanitation &
hygiene

Water,

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 A2: Children & youth-2

A2 COMMUNITY DRAMA ON CHILD/EARLY MARRIAGE

Headman: Yes, I’ve seen that girl also. We’ll certainly make her our daughter-in-
law. Please take forward discussions on this matter.

Awareness
raising
Marriage Mediator: Alright, I’ll talk to them today.

[Headman departs. Jorina’s mother enters and begins to act as if cooking and cleaning her

Children &
home. Marriage Mediator walks towards her.]

youth
Marriage Mediator: Hello! Kuddus’ wife! Are you at home? Please come here.

Climate &
Jorina’s mother:

environ-
Mr Mediator! Hello. Why have you come to my house?

ment
Marriage Mediator: I’ve brought some good news for you. I’ve seen a bridegroom for your
daughter. He is the son of the Headman.

Conflict &

building
peace-
Jorina’s mother: Dear Mr Mediator. You know that Jorina’s father is no longer with us. I
am alone. Please do your best for us.

Corruption &
governance
Marriage Mediator: I’ll not do any harm to you. So, what about the dowry? If you give forty
thousand taka, then your daughter will be married to the Headman’s
son.

Disaster risk
manage-
ment
Jorina’s mother: I’ve only thirty thousand taka. I can give this amount.

Marriage Mediator: Alright, I’m going now. I’ll tell you the date of the marriage later.

ination &
inclusion
Discrim-
[Marriage Mediator and Jorina’s mother depart. Marriage Mediator and Headman enter]

Marriage Mediator: Dear Mr Headman, where are you?

livelihoods
Food &
Headman: What happened now? Why have you come here again?

Marriage Mediator: Good news! I’ve confirmed the marriage! Her mother will give thirty Gender &

violence
thousand taka. Now, please tell me the date of the marriage. sexual

Headman: How about Friday? The marriage will take place on Friday.
Health &
HIV

Marriage Mediator: Great! So the wedding day is fixed. I will go and tell them today.

[Marriage Mediator and Headman depart. Jorina enters and sits down, looking sad]
Influencing
decision-
makers

Jorina: What shall I do? I don’t want to get married. I want to go to school.
Maybe I just have to get married.
Migration &
trafficking

[Madhobi enters]
sanitation &
hygiene
Water,

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 A2: Children & youth-2

A2 COMMUNITY DRAMA ON CHILD/EARLY MARRIAGE

Madhobi: Jorina, where are you?

Dear Madhobi, you’ve come! Please rescue me! They are giving me
Awareness

Jorina:
raising

away to be married to the Headman’s son.

Madhobi: Do you want to be married?

Children &
youth

Jorina: No, they are forcing me to be married.

Madhobi: All right, don’t worry, let’s go and talk to someone who can help us.
Climate &
environ-
ment

[Madhobi and Jorina depart. Enter: Madhobi, Jorina and Tripty]

Madhobi: Dear elder sister, Jorina’s marriage has been fixed. Her mother wants
Conflict &
building
peace-

to give her away in marriage.

Tripty: Let me go to her mother’s house and talk to her. Let’s see if Saeedi, a
member of the women’s self-help group, will come with me.
Corruption &
governance

[Marhobi and Tripty depart. Enter: Jorina’s mother (at home), Saeedi and Tripty]
Disaster risk

Saeedi: [Calling] Jorina’s mother, are you at home?

manage-
ment

Jorina’s Mother: Hello. How do you do? Why have you come to my house?

Are you giving your daughter to be married to the Headman’s son?

inclusion
ination &

Saeedi:
Discrim-

Jorina’s Mother: No ... um, I mean, I don’t want to give her away to be married but the
Headman forced me to agree to it. I’m a poor woman, I’ve nobody to
livelihoods

help me. That’s why I agreed. Moreover, I don’t know whether or not I’ll
Food &

be able to get a good bridegroom for Jorina in the future.

Tripty: Dear Aunt, don’t you know that a girl can’t be married if she is under
Gender &
violence
sexual

18 years of age? Girls less than 18 are not ready to be wives and
mothers. Their health can be damaged by having children too young.
What’s more, it is illegal and a punishable offense.
Health &

Jorina’s Mother: I really didn’t know about this. And I thought if I disagreed with the
HIV

Headman then something bad might happen.

Don’t worry. We’ll talk to the Headman. You stay here. Let me go and
Influencing

Saaedi:
decision-
makers

find my sisters from the self-help group, and let us all go to the
Headman’s house.
Migration &
trafficking

[Everybody departs. Enter: Saaedi, Tripty, other self-help group members and Headman.]
sanitation &
hygiene

Water,

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 A2: Children & youth-2

A2 COMMUNITY DRAMA ON CHILD/EARLY MARRIAGE

Headman: Please come in, have a seat. Why have you come here? I have lots of
work to do. I’m arranging many things for my son’s marriage. Please
tell me quickly what you want to talk about.

Awareness
raising
Saaedi: Please listen to us, Mr Headman. You’ve arranged your son’s
marriage. But is your son old enough to be married? Jorina is only 13

Children &
years old! Do you think it is OK to be married at this age? Do you know

youth
the physical complications that can happen because of early-
marriage? Moreover, do you know that child-marriage is illegal?

Climate &
environ-
Tripty: Listen to me, Mr Headman. If you go ahead with this marriage, then all

ment
of us will go to the police station.

Headman: I really didn’t know about this. My eyes have been opened today! This

Conflict &

building
marriage will not happen. And listen my friends, I’m with you. I will not

peace-
allow any child-marriage from now on.

Announcement: [spoken by all of the actors, or just one person]

Corruption &
governance
“Children are not physically, emotionally or mentally ready to be married. Early
marriage means the end of education and the end of childhood. Girls’ bodies

Disaster risk
manage-
are not yet ready to carry children. They risk dangerous complications in

ment
pregnancy and childbirth. Early marriage is wrong. It must be stopped.”

ination &
inclusion
Discrim-
Discussion questions
It may be appropriate to discuss these questions with small groups of people after
performing the drama. Be aware that this might be a difficult subject for some people. It

livelihoods
Food &
will need to be addressed with sensitivity and wisdom.
 How did Jorina feel about the marriage? Why did she feel that way?
 Why did Jorina’s mother agree to the marriage?
 What would happen to the Marriage Mediator if early marriage stopped? What
Gender &

violence
sexual
alternative employment might be available to him?
 Does early marriage happen in your community?
 Why does it happen?
Health &

 What harm does it cause?

HIV

 What can be done to stop it?

Influencing
decision-
makers
Migration &
trafficking
sanitation &
hygiene
Water,

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 A2: Children & youth-2

A2 COMMUNITY DRAMA ON CHILD/EARLY MARRIAGE

Child or early marriage

1 in 3 girls in the developing world are married by their 18th birthday. While it happens to both
Awareness

girls and boys, it is mostly girls who are affected. It is illegal under international law.
raising

Early marriage often means the end of education and the end of childhood. Girls are not
physically or emotionally ready to become wives and mothers. They face high risk of
Children &

dangerous complications in pregnancy and childbirth, becoming infected with HIV, and
youth

suffering from domestic abuse. Girls who get married typically have children themselves very
young. Approximately 70,000 girls die in labour every year because their bodies aren’t ready
for childbirth.
Climate &
environ-
ment

Why does it happen? In many places child marriage is a traditional practice that has
happened for generations. Girls are not valued as much as boys, and have a lower status in
societies as a result of harmful traditions, attitudes and beliefs. Poverty is also a huge factor.
Conflict &
building
peace-

Giving a child away means one less person to feed, clothe, educate and keep healthy. In
communities where a dowry or ‘bride price’ is paid, it is often welcome income for poor
families. In cultures where the bride’s family pay the groom a dowry, they often have to pay
less if the bride is young and uneducated. Many parents also wrongly believe that being
Corruption &
governance

married young will keep their child safe. Source: www.girlsnotbrides.org

Disaster risk
manage-
ment
inclusion
ination &
Discrim-

Finding out more

 Resources on the Girls Not Brides campaign website: www.girlsnotbrides.org
 Resources on the Keeping Children Safe website: www.keepingchildrensafe.org.uk
livelihoods
Food &
Gender &
violence
sexual

Related tools:
 A1 – Revealing the need to protect children: information for facilitators [A1: Children & youth-1]
 A2 – Using the media to talk about child protection [A2: Children & youth-1]
 A2 – Discussing standards for child protection [A2: Children & youth-3]
Health &

 B – Caring for children (Bible study) [B: Children & youth-2]

HIV

 B – God’s view of children (Bible study) [B: Children & youth-2]

Influencing
decision-
makers

Migration &
trafficking
sanitation &
hygiene

Water,

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