MISSIRIS' GIRL POWER INITIATIVE

Follow @missirismtl on Instagram for updates on this initiative.

ANNOUNCEMENT #1 - March 8, 2023

While here we scroll on Instagram, we go to the restaurant, we buy Missiris bags, elsewhere in the world, many young girls are sent in marriage, often to much older men. We can see, for example, a 12-year-old girl marrying a 60-year-old man. Some girls are even married at the age of 5! The main cause of these early marriages? Poverty.

Girls are frequently viewed as burdens or commodities, and marrying them off represents a financial transaction for their families.
According to the United Nations Population Fund, more than 650 million women alive in 2022 were married before their 18th birthday. Child marriage is a serious violation of fundamental human rights.
Because what happens is that these girls are taken out of school to care for their homes, and prone to early pregnancy. However, their bodies not being mature enough for pregnancy and childbirth, we often end up with fatal complications, both for the mother and for the baby.
These marriages are also a breeding ground for domestic violence, sexual violence, mental illness and a cycle of poverty, as these uneducated girls raise their children in poverty and when their children grow up, there is a high chance that the history repeats itself.
My name is Aïsha, I am the founder of Missiris Montreal, and I have 2 young daughters. I don't just want to sell bags, I want to make a difference. On this International Women's Day, my mother's heart says to itself '' What if it was my daughters? ''
This year, Missiris Montreal is committed to getting 3 girls out of their forced marriages and getting them back to school. I will be updating you throughout the year on the progress of this initiative so stay tuned. If you have any comments and suggestions, feel free to email info@missirismtl.com. Happy International Women's Day!