Blog by Molly Crawford, Youth Advisory Panel Plan International Ireland
October 11th, marked International Day of the Girl, a day dedicated to amplifying girls’ voices, celebrating their victories and fighting for their rights. In the thirty years since the Beijing Declaration, the International Day of the Girl has become a moment to highlight the strength and determination of young girls and the world they are building, whilst also spotlighting the challenges they continue to face.
The film ‘Nawi: Dear Future Me’ made its Irish debut on October 9th 2025, at Plan International Ireland’s annual International Day of the Girl event. It tells the story of Nawi, a thirteen year old Kenyan girl – still a child – who dreams of attending high school, but has her future stolen from her when she is forced to marry an older stranger in exchange for livestock.
Her story, based on true events, shows what happens when a girl dares to resist the life forced upon her, and the consequences of standing up and saying no.
Plan International Ireland presenting ‘Nawi: Dear Future Me’ to mark the International Day of the Girl Child, October 2025.
© Photo: Molly Crawford / Youth Advisory Panel, Plan International Ireland
Nawi’s story is an emotional one, and a stark reminder to the audience that child marriage is a very real, and very devastating, reality for so many young girls globally. Child marriage is not a thing of the past, and despite laws prohibiting it, the practice remains commonplace in many societies and cultures, with 12 million girls married before their 18th birthday globally each year.
The film offers a raw peek behind the curtain at the real lives and real people impacted by child marriage. It shows how a girl’s future, education and autonomy can be ripped from her in an instant. The impact was profound and visceral, with every single member of the audience leaving in tears.
During the course of the film Nawi talks of her dreams of attending secondary school, writing letters to her future self, full of her dreams of education, freedom and a life of possibility. However, Nawi’s dreams are stolen from her the moment she is forced into marriage.
According to UNICEF (2022), 87% of child brides are out of school, often due to obligations such as motherhood or homemaking. This devastating statistic highlights the lifelong impacts of child marriage, not just on individual girls, but on their families, communities, and future generations. Child brides are stripped of their education, their bodily autonomy and their futures simply due to being born a girl.
Nawi’s story does not sugarcoat the harsh realities of child marriage, and is a tough watch. However, the ending shows a faint glimmer of hope. At the core of this film is the resounding message that education is power. Nawi dreamed of using her schooling to open doors for herself and those around her. An education allows girls to become empowered. When we invest in education, we invest in safety, in gender equality and flourishing communities.
Keeping girls in school has a profound impact on reducing child marriage, with every additional year in secondary education diminishing the likelihood of child marriage by 6% (Girls Not Brides). Not only does education protect girls from early marriages and pregnancies, but it also provides them with the tools to break the cycle of child marriage and pursue other dreams and opportunities.
There is a strong correlation between child marriage and education. By working to end child marriage, we give more girls the opportunity to complete their education and to have autonomy over their lives and decisions. Likewise, by increasing access to education, the likelihood of a girl entering child marriage reduces. Education is not simply a right, it is a lifeline. Girls across the globe dream of higher education, of future careers and of escaping the cycles of discrimination they have been born into. We must continue to demand global access to education for girls so we can work to end child marriage and achieve equality.
Since the screening I have been haunted by Nawi’s words “dreams never change, they die.” Every day, girls across the globe are stripped of their education, die in childbirth and lose their autonomy because of child marriage.
Every three seconds, a girl is forced into marriage.
Every three seconds a girl loses her autonomy.
Every three seconds a classroom loses a student.
Every three seconds a dream dies.
We cannot let this continue.
Girls across the world deserve to be children, not brides. They deserve the chance to go to school, to have a career, to choose who they want to marry. They deserve to have dreams, and to pursue them.
Despite UN SDG aims to end child marriage by 2030, no region is on track to reach this target (UNICEF). We need to act. All girls deserve an education, and no girl should have to give up on her future. On the International Day of the Girl, and every day, we need to push for gender equality and give girls the tools they need to write their own futures. We must demand an end to child marriage to remind all girls that their future is theirs for the taking.
