#294653 CEBRASPE (CESPE) - 2015 - Diplomata (Terceiro Secretário)

Text for question.

When Memory Banda’s younger sister was forced to marry at just 11 years old, Memory became determined to ensure that no more girls had to experience her sister’s fate. Since then, this remarkable young woman from rural Malawi has helped to persuade her government to raise the minimum age of marriage across her country, and is blazing a trail for girls that we all should follow.

Memory’s sister became pregnant during a traditional sexual “cleansing ceremony”, a rite of passage in some parts of Malawi that is supposed to prepare pubescent girls for womanhood and marriage. She was forced to marry the father of her unplanned child, a man in his early 30s, and was burdened with all the responsibilities of adulthood. Now 16, she is raising three children alone; she has been unable to return to school.

The incident inspired Memory to push for a better future for girls. She became involved with a local grassroots group, Girls Empowerment Network, joining other young women and civil-society groups across Malawi to urge village authorities and parliamentary ministers to put an end to child marriages. Last month, Memory’s efforts — along with those of thousands of others — paid off, when Malawi’s government enacted a new law that sets the minimum age for marriage at 18.

Memory’s achievement is an important one. Every year, some 15 million girls are married before the age of 18, and their plight is all too often ignored. A girl forced into marriage typically faces pressure to bear children before she is physically or emotionally ready to do so. And the result can be deadly. Girls who give birth before they turn 15 are five times more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth than women in their 20s.

The consequences of child marriage are lifelong. Child brides typically drop out of school, losing the chance to acquire the skills and knowledge needed to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. Like Memory’s sister, they often are married to older men — a situation that leaves them less able to ensure that they are treated well.

Education for girls is crucial to ending child marriage. The transition from primary school to secondary school is particularly important, as it usually coincides with adolescence, a period in a girl’s life that lays the foundation for success and wellbeing in womanhood. Girls with secondary education are up to six times less likely to marry early compared to girls with little or no education.

Girls must be convinced and assured of their worth, but they should not be left to end child marriage on their own. Families, communities, and societies share a joint responsibility to end it. Governments need to adopt legislation that sets 18 as the minimum age for marriage — leaving no room for exceptions such as traditional practices or parental consent — the same way that fathers, brothers, and male leaders must be engaged to care for and empower girls.

It is up to all of us to serve as role models for the girls in our lives. We have all benefited from the wisdom of our parents, partners, colleagues, and mentors. It is now up to us to nourish and nurture girls’ ambitions. Let girls be girls, not brides.

Mabel van Oranje and Graça Machel. Girls, not brides. Apr. 22^nd 2015. Internet: <www.project-syndicate.org> (adapted).

In reference to the linguistic features of the text, decide whether the following statement are right (C) or wrong (E).

In the sentence “Since then (...) should follow”, the reference to Memory’s sister is based on the fragment “this remarkable young woman” and the two occurrences of “her”.