In Bangladesh, women and girls have one realistic aspiration in life: marriage. The country has the second highest rate of child marriage in the world, with girls married off as young as nine years old.
Allison Joyce recently launched a fundraiser about this issue, focusing on eight very special Bangladeshi girls that she’s been documenting. This project could help save these girls from the reality of young marriage, sexual harassment, attacks and the unsafe work environments that face most women in Bangladesh.
Johanara, Aisha, Shumi, Suma, Rifa, Shobe Majaraz, Mayasha and Nargis are “the surf girls” of Bangladesh. They are all between the ages of 10 and 13 and have taken on the responsibility of earning money to help feed their families. They work everyday on the beach, selling jewelry and eggs until well after dark.
When they aren’t working, they’re surfing. Thanks to 25-year-old surfer and lifeguard Rashed Alem and his wife, the surf girls have something to look forward each and every day. Rashed has taken on the “big brother” role, making sure the girls are safe on the beach and teaching them to surf in the afternoons. Rashed’s wife, Vanessa even tutors the girls six days a week.
Allison met the surf girls on a short assignment for Getty, and when a friend called her to tell her that a parent was beating the girls for not making enough money, Allison knew she had to help:
In a country where women are frankly not respected, it’s amazing to see these spunky, confident and outgoing girls defying cultural norms by surfing and skateboarding. They are only 10-13 years old but poverty is forcing them to be little adults, working on the beach selling chips and eggs so they and their families can have enough to eat.
She is shedding light on the lives of these girls through her project, hoping that they will continue to dream and create a safe, stable and educated life for themselves despite the cultural challenges. Her goal is to raise enough money to provide the surf girls with daily meals and transportation for at least two years.
Give them a chance to learn how to be themselves before they are forced to become someone’s wife or mother. With knowledge and confidence these girls have the strength to forge their own path. They will be the ones who have the power to begin to change the face of a society that is very cruel to young girls and women. This money will take the pressure off the girls and their families. All they need is a chance to breathe. Please help us to make this dream a reality. – Allison Joyce
For more of Alison’s work, visit her website and click here to donate to the surf girls.