united-nations:

A 40-year-old man proposed to Salamatou when she was just 14. Every year, tens of thousands of girls are married before reaching their 18th birthday. 

They are some of the most vulnerable girls on earth. They are denied their rights, they are at risk of abuse, their health is jeopardized, and their future prospects are limited. 

From 25 November to 10 December, the world observes 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. 

In Niger, which has one of the highest child marriage rates in the world, 16 extraordinary girls refused to become child brides. Read their stories here: http://www.unfpa.org/16-girls-16-stories-resistance