International Women of Courage Award

Sharmin was 15 when she, like thousands of other girls her age in rural Bangladesh was married off by her parents. She was to marry a man who was old enough to be her father but she took a stand and refused. She is one of twelve women who are recipients of this year's International Women of Courage Award. This award has been given to 100 women in 60 countries since it was launched in 2007.

We join in the applause Sharmin has received internationally for showing strength of character and raising her head high in refusing to marry before reaching adulthood, and in that, has demonstrated that girls her age do have a voice in deciding their fate when it comes to combating child marriage.

It is voices like Sharmin's that are needed to fight the scourge of child marriage in Bangladesh. We have laws to combat child marriage but sadly most are not implemented. That Sharmin dreams of growing up to be a lawyer to champion the right of other girls and fight this taboo of a tradition of early and forced marriage gives us hope. Yes, she may be a lone voice in our landscape, but today Sharmin is a role model for other underage girls in our country; yes, there is hope and not all is lost, if she could do it others can too. We wish Sharmin the best for the future and hope that she will indeed grow up to fulfil her dream of becoming a lawyer and an advocate for girls' rights in our society.