Skateboarding her way home from the beach, Rifa is caught on camera by her friend Shumi. Shumi is one of eight surfer girls in the coastal town of Cox’s Bazar, renowned for its 125 kilometre-long sandy beach. At only 11 years old, Shumi sells jewellery on the beach to earn money for her family. Last year, she and her friends started learning to surf with a local club, defiantly turning against local convention. Bangladesh has the world’s highest rate of marriage for girls under the age of 15, with two per cent married by the age of 11, according to UNICEF.
Surfer girls defy convention in Bangladesh
Surfer girl Shumi captures her friend on camera.
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