Summary

Chapter Six begins the discussion on child marriage which goes against the idea of equal partnership Melinda explored in the previous chapter. Many girls are expected to take adult responsibilities as young as 10, including motherhood. She tells the story of 16-year-old Fabi who was married and became pregnant at 13. The delivery tore a hole between her vagina and rectum (called fistula), and she was kicked out of the house because she could not control the side effects of the problem. Melinda says this is a common occurrence in places such as India and requires powerful allies to change.

In 2012, the wife of the Prince of the Netherlands, Mabel, became an advocate for peace and CEO of a human rights group called the Elders. She began a...