In recognition of International Day of the Girl on October 11, VOW for Girls (VOW), the growing global movement that partners with brands, individuals, and the wedding industry to end the international child marriage crisis, launches its International Day of the Girl campaign, “Stop the Clock.” With a powerful response to the statistic that every three seconds a child as young as eight years old becomes a bride, the campaign kicks off with eye-catching and strong visual collateral that calls out the need to “Stop the Clock.”
“I’m excited that our community of brands and the wedding industry are rallying together on International Day of the Girl,” says Clay Dunn, CEO of VOW for Girls. “From our poignant campaign video that features girls across the globe from our grantee organizations sharing their hopes and dreams for the future, to brand partnerships, and more, this year’s multifaceted campaign continues to raise awareness and encourages supporters to take action. It was also important to us to highlight the positive impact we’ve had in working with local organizations to give hope to girls everywhere and end child marriage in their communities.”
The campaign unites brands and the wedding industry to support this important cause, as well as help raise funds for programs that provide critical resources to girls at risk of child marriage. Luxury wedding designer Justin Alexander, wedding industry leader The Knot, and a generous private donor are sponsors of this year’s campaign. From October 4–11, every like, comment, and share of VOW’s social content will unlock $1 from the sponsors to help start a new future for girls everywhere, up to $100,000. 100% of all donations go directly to grassroots efforts to end child marriage.
“As a founding partner of VOW for Girls, the ability to choose love on your own terms is a key component of our mission,” says Kiara Kempski, Vice President of Global Consumer Marketing, The Knot Worldwide. “Beyond supporting VOW through our charity wedding registry product, we are committed to raising awareness among the wedding industry and engaged couples for this important campaign.”
“I’m proud to expand our partnership with VOW and its critical mission. Those that are fortunate enough to choose and determine their futures should help those that cannot,” says Justin Warshaw, CEO / Creative Director of Justin Alexander. “As a company, we are deeply committed to helping VOW drive impact to educate and inspire action.”
To further build a groundswell of support for International Day of the Girl, Justin Alexander will host a virtual conversation to celebrate girls on Thursday, October 7 at 12pm ET via ZOOM that will be open to the public. Participants include Justin Warshaw along with Fanta Toure-Puri, Director of the Girls First Fund, Clay Dunn, CEO of VOW for Girls, and Rebecca Yale, a luxury wedding photographer and VOW Pro+ Member. This convening will gather wedding professionals to learn more about the issue of child marriage and how to come together to make a significant impact on the lives of girls around the world. For more information and to register for the event, please click here.
VOW has also engaged celebrities and influencers such as Kristen Bell, Julia Haart, and Freida Pinto to share their own personal responses to the crisis through their social media platforms from October 4–11. Participants will show that when girls have the freedom to dream, they can decide their own futures, including when it comes to marriage.
This year, VOW is also partnering with eBay for Charity as the featured “Give at Checkout” nonprofit for all U.S. shoppers now through October 10. In addition, shoppers can support VOW by purchasing two eBay “Gifts that Give Back,” on sale now. Both gifts are direct donations to VOW with no fees taken out by eBay.
- $10 — school supplies for a girl for a month
- $47 — school enrollment fees for a girl for a year
“We want every girl to have the future she deserves – one that is happy, healthy, and of her own choice,” says Mabel van Oranje, co-founder and board chair of VOW for Girls. “This year’s campaign is more critical than ever. The COVID-19 pandemic has put millions of girls at a higher risk of child marriage. It is essential that we act urgently to address this crisis that is happening around the world.”
All of the money raised by VOW is invested in underfunded but effective local efforts that advance girls’ rights by providing education, job training, and vital life skills. Eighty-five percent of the grantee organizations are led by women. To date, grants have supported 175+ community-based organizations and an estimated 260,000 girls have been directly impacted by this work.
