Tackling child marriage with theatre in Benin

Theater performances prove to be an enormously powerful way to increase knowledge about a sensitive subject such as child marriages. In Benin, Her Choice alliance member The Hunger Project (THP) worked with the professional theater group Baobab to make the community aware of issues such as early pregnancies and child marriages. The professional theater group worked together with young people and animators to put together a beautiful performance.

The most important message of the performance was to tackle the causes of early pregnancies and the risks for young girls to become pregnant. The actors showed the public what parents can do to prevent it and that boys also play an important role.

Many spectators

Because the theater performances were decorated with beautiful decors and professional costumes, there were many spectators, also from surrounding villages. After the performance, group discussions were organized to further discuss the themes from the play. These were supervised by animators (community members who are trained by THP and volunteer for their own village) and by local experts.

Animator Francoise (31) looks back on a successful theatre season: ‘It is a good tool to discuss sensitive issues with young people and their parents. Surrounding communities have also asked us to play in their villages, because it is a really good sensitization activity.’