18 year old Laxmi, wed to her husband when he was three and she was only one year old, went to great lengths to get her marriage successfully annulled. Bravely standing up against her families and her community, she independently sought out a child rights activist to help her with her case.
She now hopes to continue her education.
"In India, where an estimated 50 percent of girls are married before they're 18, opponents of arranged child marriages can face serious threats, including gang rape, beatings and maiming. On the same day as Laxmi's annulment became official, protesters trying to stop a mass child wedding in Rajasthan were attacked and injured by villagers. When a 13-year-old refused to wed her arranged husband in 2009, her parents withheld her food for two weeks. Amazingly, the young girl prevailed and gained international attention and support for her stance. This week Laxmi moved the needle even further; hers is the first legally-binding child marriage annulment in India's history."
Please join us in celebrating this milestone, and don't forget that there are still thousands of children who need our help.
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