Stewart CohenDirector/DP/Photographer, Stewart Cohen Pictures · Director/DP/Photographer @ Stewart Cohen Pictures | Film Production

SCPictures | Girl Powered - Cassie :30 | Director Stewart Cohen

23 Jun 2021 · 1 min

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In this brief spoken statement, 20‑year‑old New Hampshire state representative Cassandra Levesque shares how discovering personal courage propelled her lifelong fight against child marriage. She recounts beginning activism at age 15½, succeeding in raising the legal marriage age for girls from 13 to 16, and now working to increase it to 18. Levesque urges young people facing obstacles to persist, reject discouragement, and remember that the younger generation will inherit the earth.

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Courage is very important, and I never knew I had courage until I started believing in something and fighting for something. I have fought to end child marriage here in New Hampshire since I was 15 and a half years old, and now I'm still trying to fight that as an adult. My name is Cassandra Levesque. I am 20 years old, and I am a New Hampshire state representative. I didn't get the marriage age raised the first year that I tried. The second year, I raised it from 13 for girls to 16, and now I am trying to raise it to 18. What I tell kids that find themselves with obstacles in their way is, don't let anybody tell you that you can't do it, and don't listen to the people that are trying to stop you. The young will inherit the earth.