1.0World Vision Advocacyhttps://www.worldvisionadvocacy.orgKatie Taylorhttps://www.worldvisionadvocacy.org/author/kataylor/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="MixmkVqhth"><a href="https://www.worldvisionadvocacy.org/2020/06/24/why-does-disaster-increase-the-risk-of-violence-against-women-and-girls/marriages-not-made-in-heaven-how-alert-communities-and-a-dedicated-world-vision-staff-stopped-nine-child-marriages-during-the-lockdown-in-india/">Marriages not made in heaven: How alert communities and a dedicated World Vision staff stopped nine child marriages during the lockdown in India</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.worldvisionadvocacy.org/2020/06/24/why-does-disaster-increase-the-risk-of-violence-against-women-and-girls/marriages-not-made-in-heaven-how-alert-communities-and-a-dedicated-world-vision-staff-stopped-nine-child-marriages-during-the-lockdown-in-india/embed/#?secret=MixmkVqhth" width="600" height="338" title="“Marriages not made in heaven: How alert communities and a dedicated World Vision staff stopped nine child marriages during the lockdown in India” — World Vision Advocacy" data-secret="MixmkVqhth" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); /* ]]> */ </script> https://live-advocacy.d2.worldvision.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/W165-0455-014_Low_res_comp.jpg800600Portrait of 13-year-old Marufa (class 4), who is part of a Girl Power group standing in front of her home. The cyclone caused a lot of damage to her house. (May 2020) “This is not the first time that families witnessed their homes blown off by a storm or cyclone. However, at this point they are already severely hit because of the COVID-19 lockdown. Whatever a family stored up (food, money and belongings) is exhausted because of the lockdown. Their home was the only thing left with them, but Cyclone Amphan has damaged that as well. These families have absolutely nothing now! This has increased their misery and doubled their vulnerability’’ says Adahrii Daikho, Monitoring & Evaluation Coordinator for the Combat Child Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation Program. ‘’This kind of crisis leads parents to send their children to work, to make their girls vulnerable to early marriage and susceptible to trafficking as well. The project has already come across early marriages and abuse cases, which are very crucial to handle and mitigate. Constant awareness and counselling on child marriage, child protection, mental health and stigma, and COVID-19 awareness is given to the trafficking survivors and Girl power group members. It is essential to safeguard and prevent this vulnerable population from falling prey to such incidents,’’ says Adahrii Daikho, Monitoring & Evaluation Coordinator for the Combat Child Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation Program.