HA– “The piece on forced marriage touched my soul, because I am a victim of this harmful practice,” said Domingas* in Quinhamel, in the western Biombo region of Guinea-Bissau.

“I speak with my mother every single day about my marriage to an older man, but she always says ‘these are our ways, our traditions’. So I’m really happy with this caravan,” she told UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency.

The travelling theatre is part of a recent nationwide campaign to raise awareness about the damage that forms of gender-based violence can do to young girls’ physical and mental health, and to their ability to fulfil their potential.

“Female genital mutilation has a lot of harmful consequences for women and girls, including during pregnancy or delivery,” said Delina Amelia Mendes from Bula, in the Cacheu region. “It can result in the death of a newborn or even the mother.”

To help counter practices such as female genital mutilation and child marriage, 25 actors from the National Ballet, the Nossa Patria Amada, performed three plays at local markets. Known as Lumos, the markets bring people together from all sectors of society, and are a good forum for sparking conversations and spreading awareness about the need for social and behavioural change. 

Each play is between 30 and 45 minutes and incorporates a mix of theatre, dance and music. They are followed by an interactive session, during which audience members can engage in discussions with the actors.

“We want to create a meaningful dialogue instead of limiting ourselves to one-way communication,” said Marliatu Djalo, President of the national committee against harmful practices in Guinea-Bissau.