Wooden child bride props to help spread the word

It is all part of the Zonta Club of Gladstone's travelling 16 Days of Activism campaign.

CAMPAIGN: Robyn Liddell and Allison Kelly from Zonta Club of Gladstone, who will run a local campaign for the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence. Picture: Matt Taylor GLA231118ZONTA

THE Zonta Club of Gladstone is ready to kickstart this year's 16 Days of Activism campaign from Sunday

Club chairwoman of advocacy Robyn Liddell said this year's local campaign would incorporate Zonta International's 2018 focus on early marriage.

Club members will visit various local groups, businesses and organisation to educate employees on gender-based violence and child marriage.

"Child marriage impacts girls in various ways," MsLiddell said

"In a lot of cultures once girls are married their education stops.

"So it is preventing the girls from being as independent as they might otherwise be."

Ms Liddell said the Zonta organisation worked with the governments of many countries it operated in, "advocating different changes to laws and changes to practices".

She said the 16-day campaign in Gladstone would include travelling wooden cutouts wearing veils to signify child marriage.

"It's just trying to get the message out there in a different way to get people talking," MsLiddell said.

The Zonta Club of Gladstone and its educational cutouts will visit various groups including the Gladstone Police Station, LBS Accountants, Essential Body Personal Training, Elders Real Estate and the Port Curtis Medical Center.

In accordance with Article 1 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, child marriage refers to the marriage of a person under the age of 18.

According to Girls Not Brides, almost 41,000 girls become brides everyday.

It is estimated by 2030 about 15.4million girls a year will be married as children.