Angelique Kidjo Has Been Waiting A Long Time To Sing This Song
Can one song that speaks out against child marriage make a difference? Says Kidjo: "Silence is what has allowed child marriage to continue."
When three-time Grammy-winning singer Angelique Kidjo was a 12-year-old schoolgirl in her native Benin, her best friend suddenly disappeared from school. Kidjo went to her friend's house and asked her father what had happened. The reason shocked Kidjo: Her friend Awaawou had become a child bride, and that meant that her friend's education — and her girlhood — were at an end.
That was about 35 years ago. But according to UNICEF, one in 10 girls in Benin still marries before the age of 15, and in Central and Western. Since child brides often cease their education, they also lack the skills to earn a living later on.
