By Martha Givaudan | Director
The municipality of Metlatónoc, located in the La Montaña region of Guerrero, faces one of the highest rates of child marriage and poverty in Mexico, a situation that has worsened following the devastation of Hurricane Otis. Local reports indicate that an alarming average of 300 girls are sold into marriage each month.
Child marriages are often rooted in indigenous customs and economic hardship. Many families lack the resources to provide their daughters with a dignified life or opportunities for education and health. As a result, parents may feel compelled to sell their daughters to secure an income, shifting the burden of their care to their future husbands. This situation is further exacerbated by entrenched gender norms that dictate women's roles primarily as caretakers, limiting their opportunities for personal and professional fulfillment.
Our program "Help Them Not to Reach the Altar" has been working tirelessly for seven years across 12 communities in Metlatónoc. We have successfully changed local norms and gender roles among authorities, families, teachers, and youth, empowering them to recognize and uphold the human rights of girls and women. Thanks to these efforts, 7,000 girls have been spared from being sold into marriage.
Recognizing the link between child marriage and economic instability, we have also initiated a financial education and entrepreneurship project in collaboration with our main program. This initiative has led to the establishment of 15 chicken-raising businesses run by women, enhancing their financial literacy, savings habits, and self-confidence—ultimately improving their quality of life.
Metlatónoc comprises 66 communities, and we are committed to extending our work to the remaining 54 through our dual programs: "Help Them Not to Reach the Altar" and "Economic Empowerment of Women." Our comprehensive approach aims not only to eradicate child marriage but also to prevent the social and economic violence faced by girls and women in this region.
"Your donation will help ensure that thousands of girls are not sold into marriage"
Links:
By Karina Estrada | Project Development Lead
By Karina Estrada | Project Development Lead
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser