With DRY, Stephanie Reopens Debate On Child Marriage

According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), between 2011 and 2020, more than 140 million girls will become child brides. And if current levels of child marriages hold, 14.2 million girls annually or 39 000 daily will marry too young. Furthermore, of the 140 million girls, who will marry before they are 18, 50 million will be under the age of 15.

While boys are sometimes subjected to early marriage, girls are disproportionately affected and form the vast majority of the victims of child marriage. A comparison of the proportion of young women aged 15-19, who were married in 2003 to young men aged 15-19, who were married in the same year found the ratio to be 72 to 1 in Mali, 8 to 1 in the US, and 6 to 1 in El Salvador.

Since 1948, the United Nations and other international agencies have attempted to stop child marriage. Article 16 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that persons must be at “full age” when married and that marriage should be entered into “freely” and with “full consent.” In other words, any country that allows child marriage is committing a violation of human rights that prevents girls from obtaining an education, enjoying optimal health, bonding with others their own age, maturing, and ultimately choosing their own life partners.

In most cases, child marriage is driven by poverty, traditions and has many effects on girls’ health: increased risk for sexually transmitted diseases, cervical cancer, malaria, death during childbirth, and obstetric fistulas. But despite the physical damage and the persistent discrimination to young girls, little progress has been made toward ending the practice of child marriage. In fact, the problem threatens to increase with the expanding youth population in developing world.

Worried by the rising rate of child marriage in Africa and Nigeria in particular, Nollywood diva Stephanie Linus recently shot an advocacy movie titled DRY. Featuring A-List movie stars such as Zubaida Ibrahim Fagge, Darwin Shaw, Liz Benson-Ameye, Bill McNamara, Olu Jacobs, Hakeem Hassan, comedian Klint Da Drunck and others, the movie, which recently premiered on cinema, focused on the need to improve health care system, especially maternal health care, as many women still die during childbirth.

“We have many wonderful laws in our country but they are not being enforced –those are the major challenges. Vesico-vaginal fistula (VVF) is a huge health challenge in Nigeria; people used to think that it’s something that happens only in the North. It can happen to anybody living anywhere in the country. We have been helping a lot of girls and women suffering from VVF with surgeries. That’s why I did the movie to create awareness and let people understand the effect of their female children engaging in early marriage,” the lovable actress said.

Written, produced and directed by Stephanie, DRY is an inspiring true story of Zara (Stephanie Linus) and Halima (Zubaida Ibrahim Fagge), who find themselves in the same cultural trap regardless of their background, with each struggle to make meaning to their lives.

Zara, a successful African doctor living in Wales is determined to stay away from her childhood memories and this now threatens her commitment to marry Alex, a gentleman she truly loves. Her mother, a missionary to Africa, has been unable to get Zara to go with her for her yearly medical aid trips to Africa.

When her mother falls ill and unable to make a crucial trip and Zara discovers there is a strong possibility her long lost daughter might still be alive in Africa, she steered in a new direction to face and conquer her darkest fears. Her trip to Africa becomes inevitable.

Meanwhile, back in Africa, thirteen- year old Halima’s poor parents make her marry Sani, an old 60-year-old man. With no idea of sex or its intricacies, she goes through a dreadful ordeal as her new husband repeatedly ‘rapes’ her. Pregnant and after the delivery of her child, young Halima suffers a condition known as Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF). A health nightmare suffered by over 800,000 other women just like her, she is ostracize and abandoned by her husband, family and community. It is a period of rejection, isolation and despair for Halima.

The movie follows a trail of Zara’s trip to Africa, her constant turmoil as a result of inexplicable horrors from her child hood, her experiences and heartaches while working with these suffering women against the backdrop of a rich African culture. Eventually, Zara meets Halima and marvels at the revelation of the tie that binds them together.

Full of intrigues, suspense, unbelievable surprises and the joy of reconciliation and the power of the human spirit that is guaranteed to put a smile on people’s face, this is a movie that every family must see. As for the government, the film, which is of high quality, has reopened a fresh debate on child marriage and the need to enforce child right laws.

In many countries, child marriage is prohibited, but existing laws are often not enforced or provide exceptions for parental consent or traditional and customary laws. Child marriage reinforces gender inequality and violates human rights. Tolerating any injustice makes it easier for others to exist.

The complex mix of cultural and economic factors mean there is not a single, simple solution. But, through partnership, long-term programming and a willingness to learn from our successes and failures, we can end child marriage in a generation.

“For this particular movie, DRY, I wrote, produced and directed it –I also acted in it. That’s like playing four divergent roles in one movie which was actually very tedious but it was fun. Admittedly too, an actor will want to expand her scope, try new things and want to be in control of some of the contents from the beginning to the end. I really want to be versatile and push myself to do more –do something different and not limit myself to just being an actress,” Stephanie said