Muslim bodies launch anti-child marriage video in Nigeria

Muslim organizations in northern Nigeria have launched a 14-minute long video as part of an awareness campaign to highlight the importance of seeking a woman’s consent before she gets married.

The video titled "Too Young To Consent and Too Young To Be Judged" quotes local Muslim scholars and women as saying that Islam prescribes woman to give her consent before she gets married.

Speakers in the video highlighted the dangers of child marriage, blaming it for high divorce rates and health-related problems.

The N-Map, Women's Rights Advancement and Protection Initiative and Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative nongovernmental organizations were behind the video initiative, which coincided with the International Women's Day on Tuesday.

The trio said in a joint statement: "To accomplish this, too young to consent features interviews with Islamic scholars, traditional leaders and lawyers that interpret the teachings of the Quran and various hadiths [saying of the Prophet Muhammad]”.

The campaign follows a recent upsurge in child marriage across several states in Nigeria's northern region.

The campaigners cited the case of Wasilat Tasiu, a 14-year-old girl, who was forced into marriage and accused of poisoning her husbands and friends in northwestern Kano state.

Tasiu was arraigned for murder; later, however, campaigns against her trial saw charges against her being withdrawn.

Amina Hanga, a representative of Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative, said the campaign aims to create awareness about the need to let girls get access to education.

"We produced this video to appeal to the society, to give the girl child a chance to develop herself and contribute to the development of society. A woman without education not only suffers but also her children are made to suffer the consequences," Hanga said.