The local community needs to truly understand the harmful consequences and see the value of giving girls and women other opportunities in life - on equal footing with boys and men. This means, for example, allowing them to continue their education, inherit, own their own land, and have their own bank account. Gender based violence is an extreme expression of inequality, which affects one in three women in the world. In South Africa and Burkina Faso, I have met men who play a key role in improving the lives of women and girls.