Transcript
VANESSA HELETA: In 2015 there were 56 child marriages, last year a total of 52. This year alone they already have registered 15 child marriages. It really saddened my heart, I don't think it is right. This day and age we should not encourage child marriages. This project is all about enhancing and giving opportunities to the young girls to be the best they can be. This law is not doing that.
KORO VAKA'UTA: What is it that is triggering these marriages? Why are these marriages happening?
VH: Absurd reasons. For example, one of it is teenage pregnancies. A lot of young girls get pregnant and they are pushed to get married to cover up the shame and embarrassment of the family and also a lot of young girls make wrong decisions. For example, some girls run away from home and the family they look for her and automatically the mindset is that when a girl runs away, she is running away with a boy. So they don't want to deal with it. They do not want to sit down with that young girl and talk about why did you run away? How can we solve this problem? But they always out the marriage 'Oh you have to get married. You have to get married because you...Did you go to that boy's house?' and they don't even find out the real facts because they live wanting to please everyone, wanting to fit in this society. You know we have to move past that.
KV: So these marriages are with boys of a similar age and ilk? They are not like older men in general?
VH: A lot of these marriages are with boys older than them, even guys in their thirties. The CEO from the Ministry of Justice said in her speech that the party to a marriage that is 15 years or younger is usually a female and the males are usually older.
KV: You have seen these figures and you have released this initiative, what's been the reaction? It seems like you have the government alongside, so what has the reaction been from government and also from the public, from the people?
VH: We have been getting good responses and negative response as well but I know in my heart that this is the right thing to do. I think it is time to address this and I think it's just ridiculous. My daughter, she is 15 next week, oh dear Koro I can't see her getting married at the age of 15. She can barely look after herself.
