Memory Banda
Fighting against child marriage
About
Memory Banda defends girls against forced marriage and sexual violence in Malawi. Growing up in an underprivileged area, she witnessed her peers getting pregnant from rape, being forcibly married, and having to leave school. Her own sister faced this fate at just 11 years old. Determined to change this situation, Memory began advocating for girls' rights at the age of 13. She mobilized her classmates and led a campaign to end child marriages in the region. Thanks to her efforts, her community became the first in Malawi to ban this practice.
Work
Memory Banda has played a pivotal role in addressing issues affecting the well-being of girls in Malawi. Her advocacy has helped reduce harmful cultural practices and even influenced the law in her country. Her campaign helped raise the minimum legal age for marriage from 15 to 18 years.
In 2018, she founded Foundation4GirlsLeadership (F4GL), a female-led nonprofit that provides training to girls and works to strengthen their rights, promote their access to education and reproductive health services, and end early marriage.