Meet Nafissa, a beneficiary of the Zonta-supported Global Programme to End Child Marriage
“I was 14 when I was introduced to a 42-year-old man who already had two wives. I refused his advances. My parents, therefore, decided to forcefully marry me to this man they had chosen,” says Nafissa Ouedraogo from Côte d'Ivoire.
In 2019, Nafissa Ouedraogo fled neighboring Côte d'Ivoire to Bagma to escape child marriage, knowing that community leader Chief Kaboré, who is also her uncle, would protect her.
Chief Kaboré and other community leaders work closely with UNICEF's partner Women's Voices, an NGO that spearheads the fight against child marriage in Burkina Faso. The 65-year-old chief has always worked to ensure that the girls of his village go as far as possible in their studies. For several years, he has been resolutely committed to end child marriage, a scourge that could prevent his community from thriving.
“A girl should not be given in marriage early, much less by force. Even if she is of marriageable age, she should not be given in marriage against her will. Girls are sometimes forced to marry old men. We must let the young girl choose her husband. Thus, his marriage will be filled with love and happiness,” he explains.
Whenever he has the opportunity, the charismatic community leader brings together men, women, boys and girls under the palaver tree in the middle of the village to discuss girls’ education, which he easily contrasts with child marriage.
“My wish is that our girls succeed in excelling because the success of a girl, of a woman, benefits her entire community. This is why nowadays no girl of school age stays at home. We support them as best we can after they enroll in school,” says Kaboré.
With support from the Global Programme to End Child Marriage, Nafissa learned new skills and started her own business. Today, at 19-years-old, Nafissa is a successful henna tattoo artist, inspiring young girls in her village to pursue their dreams.
UNICEF does not endorse any brand, company, organization, product or service.
24 JUNE 2025