In 2019, the High Court of Tanzania banned marriage for girls under 18. Sadly, forced marriages still occur across Africa, with some girls married off as young as 15. According to the international NGO Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage, 5% of girls in Tanzania are married by 15 and 29% before turning 18. The widespread practice of forced girl marriage is what drives the Pastoral Women’s Council (PWC) to fight for the rights of Maasai women and girls, and it was this commitment that allowed them to save 17-year-old Nia.

Rescued, with no time to spare

Naishorua Masago (Nai), a young Maasai woman from the village of Kirtalo, was 13 years old when she was first exposed to the threat of forced marriage. Nai’s grandparents raised her, and she believed they were her biological parents. One day, shortly after finishing primary school, a stranger approached her, claiming to be her biological father and told her it was time for her to marry. Fortunately, this encounter qualified Nai for a high school scholarship from the Pastoral Women’s Council (PWC). With the PWC’s support, Nai left for the Ngorongoro District where she earned her high school diploma.

However, Nai’s father did not give up. He eventually returned for her and this time succeeded in taking her away. Nai recounted her experience to EL PAÍS:

“I told him that I wanted to continue studying, not get married. My mother told me that would be a disgrace,”

But Nai wasn’t ready to surrender her freedom at 17. The day before her wedding, Nai took a chance and asked a passing motorcyclist to inform the PWC about her situation. On the morning of the ceremony, the PWC took her to a shelter.

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