Khadijia’s father died just after she turned five, which made her family vulnerable in a number of ways. As the man of the house, Khadijia’s dad protected his daughters from a number of cultural practices in Mali that he did not wish to inflict on them, such as genital mutilation and forced marriage. In his absence, Khadijia’s paternal family--through violent intimidation--sold her 12-year-old sister to be married to a much older man. Khadijia never saw her sister again.