Using Animation to Help Change Zimbabwe’s Child Marriage Law
Despite constitutional protections, 31% of Zimbabwean girls were still being married before the age of 18. Veritas, a leading legal think tank, needed a way to turn dense constitutional arguments into a story that ordinary citizens – and judges – could feel. Nafuna Africa responded with a trauma-informed 2D animation that placed a young girl at the centre of the narrative while quietly weaving in hard legal analysis.
The Full Story
Context & challenge
The legal reality was complex: constitutional inconsistencies, cultural practices, and a high tolerance for “early marriage”. Veritas needed to show, simply and powerfully, why under-18 marriages were unconstitutional and harmful.
Our approach
We developed an animation that follows a fictional child character through key life stages, using symbolism and framing rather than graphic depictions of abuse. On-screen motion graphics visualised constitutional clauses and case references.
Impact & results
The animation formed part of a wider advocacy effort that culminated in the 2016 Constitutional Court judgement declaring all marriages under 18 unconstitutional – a landmark ruling cited across Africa in anti-child-marriage campaigns.
Bring us the difficult brief.
We turn ambitious creative concepts into visible, accountable delivery paths.