In the lead up to The International Day of the Girl Child, the United Nations Association of New York (UNA-NY), in partnership with Freedom United, hosted the screening of a film focused on forced child marriage. The event shed light on the complexities of this global issue and highlighted the gender-based violence often linked to this form of modern slavery. Beyond raising awareness, the screening also succeeded in sparking thoughtful and engaging discussions between audience members and panelists.

It isn’t just happening to “other people”

It’s an undeniable and shocking reality that one in three women worldwide will experience gender-based violence. The documentary episode UNMUTED: CHILD BRIDES, screened at this event, is part of a three-part series by Without Exception Films that explores this issue. This particular film follows the stories of girls affected by child marriage in both India and the United States.

The film’s director Dena Hysell-Cornejo said:

“One of the things that I was very clear on was that I wanted to not only talk about what was happening around the world, but what was happening in the United States also. Because I think it is very easy for people to say, oh, ‘that’s horrible that that’s happening to other people’. That was one of the things that we needed to bring in and make people understand that this is going on everywhere.”

Accordingly, the film details the journey of two child marriage survivors. Viewers got to walk alongside them as they reclaimed their agency and rebuilt their lives against seemingly insurmountable odds. In addition, the film underlined another vital aspect of the conversation. The grassroots advocates and organizations working to end the practice globally, from the US to South Asia and East Africa. The event showcased the global movement’s commitment to ending child marriage through education, legal reform, and advocacy, leaving viewers empowered.

Panelists inspire conversation and action

Following the screening, American author, journalist, filmmaker, and MSNBC/NBC News anchor Richard Lui expertly moderated a lively panel discussion. Panelists Dena Hysell-Cornejo, the film’s director, and child marriage survivor and founder of nonprofit Unchained at Last, Fraidy Reiss connected the episode’s stories to efforts aimed at eliminating child marriage in the US.

When asked why this happens in the US, Reiss shared several reasons she’s encountered as a service provider for child marriage survivors.

“It happens in every community, every religion, and also in secular communities, every socioeconomic level. I mean, there is every ethnicity, every race and every reason you can think of, from a girl is raped and gets pregnant, and a family thinks the only possible solution is to marry her off to her rapist, so that we cover up this shame and a “nice guy” doesn’t go to prison,  we see that a lot. Or there’s money changing hands[…] maybe there’s a bride price that’s being paid, or they owe a debt to a family overseas, and pay it back by marrying their daughter off to them. Or she’s a US citizen, we see girls being trafficked for their citizenship, forced to marry adult men overseas for a visa and a path to citizenship. And then everything in between…”

Ellie Finkelstein, Campaigner and News Editor at Freedom United stated:

“The audience was extremely involved, and the conversation could have lasted a lot longer. Sadly, we had to end it at 8:30, but lots of people then went up to the panelist to keep asking questions. The film and the discussion obviously had an impact, and I think everyone learned something, including myself.”

Ann Nicol, the Executive Director of UNA-NY said:

“(The screening) was really good, one of our best. It was a sad film to watch but very insightful, and the discussions were hopeful that we could do something about it. Thank you to Freedom United for bringing it to us.”

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Read this article on Freedom United’s website.