Niger has the highest rate of child marriage in the world, with 76% of girls married before age 18.
At just 15, Atou is already the mother of three children. She was married off to a man three times her age when she was only 11 years old.
Raised by her grandmother who valued education and enrolled her in Koranic school, Atou’s life changed dramatically when her grandmother died. After fleeing terrorist attacks in Nigeria, her family settled in Diffa, Niger. A year later, her father introduced her to a stranger.
“My father called me one night to tell me that I was going to marry this man. I did not object because I did not understand what it meant.”
Atou only saw her future husband twice before the wedding. The marriage brought suffering—food insecurity, isolation, and repeated violence. Each time she gave birth, her husband expelled her from his home. After the birth of her third child, her father finally allowed her to return home permanently.
When Atou and her children became malnourished, a program implemented by Plan International provided the healthcare, nutritional, and psychosocial support they desperately needed.
“If I had studied, I would not have accepted to be married without understanding what I was committing myself to. It was ignorance that led me to this state.”
Today, Atou dreams of going to school so she can support her children and give them a better future. Her message is clear: girls should focus on their education, and parents must stop marrying off their children at such young ages.
See Atou’s story in her own words here:
Breaking the Cycle
Education is the key to ending child marriage and empowering girls to build brighter futures.
Your gift to will allow girls to rewrite their futures for themselves.
Here’s what that means: you’ll be keeping more girls in school, where they belong. And you’ll be telling girls that their futures matter — and that they’re in charge of their own lives.
