VOW To End Child Marriage Launches "Take the #VowForGirls" Campaign

NEW YORK, Oct. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of International Day of the Girl, VOW To End Child Marriage (VOW) – the global initiative that gives couples, companies and the wedding industry the power to end child marriage – is launching "Take the #VowForGirls." This inspirational new campaign unites young female activists from around the world to stand up for the rights of girls and to call for an end to child marriage, especially amid the global pandemic. 

"COVID-19 disproportionally affects the most vulnerable among us, keeping girls out of school and increasing poverty," said Mabel van Oranje, founder and board chair of VOW. "As a consequence, child marriage is on the rise, eroding progress that has been made. Innocent girls are deprived of a healthy and happy future. We must act urgently – girls around the world can't wait."  

"Take the #VowForGirls" brings together thirteen leading activists across multiple issues – from racial justice and immigration to youth rights – to help raise funds for programs providing critical resources to girls at risk of child marriage.

Campaign participants include:

• Aranya Johar, the youngest member of the G7's Gender Equality Advisory Council
• Brittany Packnett Cunningham, award-winning activist, 2020 Fellow at Harvard's Institute of Politics and member of President Obama's 21st Century Policing Task Force
• Sara Mora, co-president of Women's March Youth Empower and founder of Who Is Our 2020

(A full list of the activists supporting "Take the #VowForGirls" can be found here.)

The campaign video – a nod to a traditional wedding vow – encourages viewers to raise their hand and "Take the #VowForGirls." From October 5-11, for every post, like, comment and share using #VowForGirls, VOW brand partners Crate and Barrel and Sundance Now will donate $1 to VOW, up to $85,000. 

All of the money raised by VOW is invested in grassroots efforts to end child marriage through the Girls First Fund. These grants support programs that work directly with girls and their communities. Ninety percent of the grants awarded through the Girls First Fund are to young women and women-led organizations. To date, grants have supported 150 community-based organizations.

"If you care about justice, you should care about girls. And if you care about girls, you should care about the work of VOW to end child marriage and elevate it as a fundamental issue," said Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation and co-founder of VOW. "We want girls to grow up in a world that values them, where they are free from the injustice and harm caused by early marriage."

Now entering its third year, VOW continues to deliver on its mission of mobilizing brands and the wedding industry to join the movement to end child marriage.

New partners Aisle Planner, Justin Alexander, Miriam de Ungría, Saint Mae and Sundance Now join VOW's family of over a dozen brands including Crate and Barrel, The Knot and The Peninsula Hotels.

VOW brand partners generously commit to donating a portion of profits from products, services, experiences and gift registries to help end child marriage. New VOW products include:

• The Le Creuset Fig Signature collection from Crate and Barrel, from which 2% of every item sold after October 1 will be donated to VOW
• The "Empower" candle from Crate and Barrel, from which $10 from every candle sold will be donated to VOW
• The "I Don't" ring from Miriam de Ungría, where 100% of proceeds from each ring is donated to VOW
• 10% of the first month of every new Aisle Planner subscription starting in October through December 2020 goes to VOW
• The "Feel-Good Collection" from Sundance Now, where $2 from every subscription using the code VOW through 2020 is donated to VOW
• The entire collection from Saint Mae, where 3% of the purchase price for every online sale is donated to VOW 
• $10 donation and up to $10 donation match for every guest of the Justin Alexander Luxury Group Pre-Show Event at New York Bridal Fashion Week

(A complete list of VOW partners and products can be found here.)

"With child marriage affecting more than 12 million girls each year and growing as a result of COVID-19, our diverse array of partners and advocates are critical to ensure that every girl is able to choose if, when and whom she marries," said VOW CEO Clay Dunn. "I'm proud to see our partners – from youth activists and major brands to celebrities, wedding professionals and couples who have aligned their wedding registries with VOW – joining together to take the vow to end child marriage." 

Please visit www.VOWtoEndChildMarriage.org and follow along at #VowForGirls to learn more about VOW. 

About VOW To End Child Marriage
VOW gives couples, companies and the public the power to help end child marriage. We believe every girl has the right to a safe and healthy future including the right to choose if, when and whom to marry. 100% of the funds raised support grassroots efforts around the globe working to ensure girls can create their own futures. 

QUOTES FROM VOW BRAND PARTNERS

"As a female-founded business centered in the wedding industry, Aisle Planner believes that marriage is a person's intimate and exclusive expression of their love for another, and that expression can only be made by choice. We're honored to partner with VOW to raise awareness of the needs and challenges girls face around the world, and work together to ensure that every girl has the right to say "I do!" when, and only when, she wants." — Trevor Wessman-Lavelle, president, Aisle Planner

"As we're just starting to see the many ways the pandemic has set back gender equality worldwide, this year it's more important than ever to lift up girls and women. We're proud to partner with VOW to support their work." — Caitlin Kawaguchi, director, Bird + Stone 

"We're proud to be partnering once again with VOW. At Justin Alexander, we believe in empowering and celebrating women and girls around the world – and supporting their right to choose if, when and whom to marry. In time for both International Day of the Girl and New York Bridal Fashion Week, we are encouraging our bridal community to join us in making a difference." — Justin Warshaw, CEO, Justin Alexander

"Girls all over the world should marry the person they love, but unfortunately not all girls are free to make their own decisions. I'm excited to partner with VOW on International Day of the Girl to introduce the 'I Don't' ring to help end child marriage." — Miriam de Ungría, founder, MdeU Design

"When one girl is for sale, all girls suffer. Society suffers. Prinkshop supports VOW for the lifesaving work they do to END the long, wrong history of selling our girls." — Pamela Bell, founder, prinkshop

"At Saint Mae, our mission is to not only provide you with the raddest jewels out there, but to give back to the charities we stand behind, making the world a better place one purchase at a time. We're so excited to have partnered with VOW." — Carli Gerard, founder, Saint Mae

"As a company that thrives on celebrating couples who find love, we're also committed to doing our part to support girls who have been deprived of that choice. VOW helps shine a light on this travesty and allows us to contribute to a cause that is near and dear to us." — Ari and Corina Madilian, founders, Single Stone

"Sundance Now is honored to be an official VOW partner for their International Day of the Girl campaign and help spotlight these incredible voices advocating for change. We strongly believe in VOW's mission and are continually working to amplify all voices through our programming." — Nada Arnot, general manager, Sundance Now

"We believe your wedding day should be one of the happiest days of your life, and who you marry and how you marry is a personal choice. Child marriage is not a decision a girl gets to make. As the leading wedding planning brand, The Knot has the largest platform, and with that, the right opportunity to spread awareness and make real change to end child marriage." — Dhanusha Sivajee, CMO, The Knot Worldwide 

"We're excited to enter the second year of our charity collaboration with VOW, in which we have united our like-minded mission for women's rights, girls' rights and gender equality. On International Day of the Girl, and every day, we're celebrating the achievements made for equality while also recognizing the advancements left to be made." — Hannah Skvarla, CEO + co-founder, The Little Market

"At The Peninsula, we take pride in helping our guests celebrate each day and make every moment special. The Peninsula Hotels in New York, Chicago and Beverly Hills are proud to partner with VOW to end child marriage. We're committed to helping girls exercise their rights so they too can celebrate each day and make each moment a special one."  — Maria Zec, regional vice president and general manager, The Peninsula Chicago

Media Contacts:
Stef Goodsell
Glover Park Group
[email protected]
646.495.2705

James Porter
VOW To End Child Marriage
[email protected]

SOURCE VOW

Related Links

http://www.VOWtoEndChildMarriage.org