Leading by example to motivate child marriage victims

The session organised by the IMAGE staff focused on further inspiring the movement leaders of IMAGE who have come a long way from being child marriage victims to being advocates against child marriages. The project has organised child brides into a movement, where they fight for their rights and speak up against injustice. To train them to do so, motivational sessions were done to help these girls mobilise and speak against child marriage in their communities. 

The session was led by Ms. Shwetha, founder of Women of Wisdom (WOW Trust), which works towards women empowerment in rural areas. Being qualified in social work, she has worked with prestigious organisations like NDTV, Child Rights Trust, Save the Children, and Republic TV before she founded Women of Wisdom. 

In the session, Ms Shwetha encouraged all the movement leaders of IMAGE by sharing her journey, struggles, and accomplishments in life. She spoke on different topics such as confidence, personal goals, and the need for a positive mindset. She explained why these qualities are important to be a successful leader who leaves an impact. The 32 movement leaders were immensely encouraged by the session and displayed keen interest by sharing their personal experiences from their on-field advocacy activities and awareness campaigns. They also consulted Ms Shweta for tips on how not to be discouraged by the setbacks they face from the local community and family members.

This exchange of leadership ideas and tips motivated the movement leaders of IMAGE to look at their obstacles as opportunities. It made them stronger in their fight towards creating a society free of child marriage.