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What best describes you?
“I wasn’t sociable. I was always apart from people.”
At just 15 years old, Marianni Campusano speaks with clarity about who she used to be—and the transformation she’s experienced since joining Junta de Mujeres Mama Tingo, a grassroots, women-led organization in the Dominican Republic.
“Through this association, I can connect more with other people,” she shares. “I’ve experienced many changes—both physically and mentally.”
For Marianni, the impact has been deeply personal—but it’s also rippling outward.
“I’ve learned more about my rights and how to prevent child marriage and teenage pregnancy. The knowledge I’ve gained here, I’ve shared with my family and community. And they’ve changed, too.”
Her story is part of a growing shift across the Dominican Republic, where nearly one in three girls is married or in union before the age of 18—one of the highest rates of child marriage in Latin America. Despite a 2021 legal ban on child marriage, the practice persists, often under informal or customary arrangements. Rooted in poverty, gender inequality, and limited access to education, child marriage has long been normalized in many communities.
But as Marianni says, “Child marriage is a frequent problem in our communities—and we have to put a stop to it.”
That belief is at the heart of Junta de Mujeres Mama Tingo, where generations of women have worked to change what’s considered acceptable for girls. Named after the Dominican land rights activist Florinda Soriano Muñoz, known as “Mamá Tingó,” the organization has grown deep roots in 20 rural and 10 peri-urban communities, creating safe spaces for girls to gather, learn, and lead.
Their work has expanded rapidly in recent years. In 2019, they operated programs in 12 communities. Today, they reach 30.
“Our generation might have paved much of the road,” says Martha, a leader who has been part of the organization for over 40 years, “but today’s girls must walk that road much further to reach change. It is still risky to be a girl in our country.”
And yet, the changes are real.
“Child marriage was normal,” one program leader shared. “Now, many know this is an act of violence against young girls.”
Marianni is proof of what’s possible when girls are informed, supported, and seen as leaders. She entered the program unsure of her voice—and is now using it to shift mindsets and shape a different future.
