The practice is against the law in Kenya, but child marriages still occur in distressingly high numbers. According to UNICEF, the country today is home to more than four million child brides.
The dynamic new film “Nawi,” which is set in the large rural county of Turkana, shines a light on the subject by telling the story of a 13-year-old student (Michelle Lemuya Ikeny) forced to marry an older man. The film is Kenya’s official selection for this year’s Best International Feature Oscar — a bold move by the East Africa nation and a sign of how seriously this issue is being combated within the region.