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Voices
JUNE 2024
Dear friend,
A message from Dr. Faith Mwangi-Powell, CEO, Girls Not Brides
I cannot believe we are halfway through the year! In 6 months, I have had the privilege to already meet some amazing changemakers from around the world – from advocates in New York at the 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, to social entrepreneurs at Skoll World Forum in Oxford; from activists, adolescents, and youth from our National Partnership Mesa a Favor de las Niñas y las Adolescentes in Guatemala, to members and partners from CECAP in Mozambique.
Collaboration is hard, but it is the only way to create change at scale. Solving big problems like child marriage is only possible through a movement of leaders collaborating to create change.
As we move into the second part of the year, my ask of you is to think about who need to work with to create more impact. Reach out, listen, learn, and discover how you can create more impact together.
It takes me, it takes you, it takes all of us to end child marriage.
📢ANNOUNCEMENTS
📢Girls Not Brides is recruiting for a new Chair of the Board and Board trustees
Are you an exceptional leader? With a proven ability to set strategic direction? Do you champion a collaborative approach? And are you committed to ending child marriage?
Following the recent message from the current Chair of the Board of Directors, Dr. Anne T Gallagher, Girls Not Brides is recruiting for a new Chair of the Board and new Board trustees.
Find out more and apply now!
📰CHILD MARRIAGE IN THE NEWS
📰A Call to Action: Act Now to End Premature Unions in Mozambique
CECAP: Coalition for the Elimination of Premature Unions and Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage are united with the Government of Mozambique in calling for decisive action to end premature unions across the country.
📰Central African Republic (CAR) adopts national strategy to end child marriage (2024-2027)
The Government of Central African Republic adopted a national strategy to end Child marriage, in response to the alarming prevalence of child marriage in the Central African Republic.
📰Sierra Leone passes historic bill to end child marriage
Sierra Leone’s parliament has approved The Prohibition of Child Marriage Bill 2024. The new bill includes provisions for enforcing penalties on offenders, protecting victims’ rights, and ensuring access to education and support services for young girls affected by early child marriage.
📰Empowering Futures: The Role of Gender Equality in Ending Child Marriage in Nigeria
Reported plans to fund a mass wedding of 100 orphaned girls in Niger State, Nigeria, have sparked significant controversy and public outcry.
📖 LEARNING AND EVIDENCE
🖥️Webinar: Child, Early, Forced Marriages and Unions in the Horn of Africa: Presenting a Literature Review of Ongoing Interventions
🕒 10 July 2024
07:00 Mexico City | 14:00 London | 16:00 Nairobi | 18:30 New Delhi
Join us to discuss effective interventions to address child, early and forced marriage and unions (CEFMU) in the Horn of Africa. We will focus on four key countries: Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, and Ethiopia. Experts will share their experiences, challenges, and success stories in addressing this critical issue.
🖥️Webinar: SRHR and child marriage in practice: Promising approaches and practical steps for advocacy
🕒 25 July 2024
07:00 Mexico City | 14:00 London | 16:00 Nairobi | 18:30 New Delhi
Join us to explore the linkages between SRHR and child marriage. The Webinar will highlight some promising SRHR programs/interventions that address and prevent child marriage and give participants an opportunity to gain valuable actionable and practical steps for implementing recommendations from our SRHR and Child Marriage brief in advocacy efforts.
📝Child marriage and the Sustainable Development Goals in India: Harnessing the power of collaboration
Developed with Girls Not Brides member organisations and other sector experts, this publication offers evidence and highlights areas for multisectoral collaboration to address the root causes of child marriage and supplement government efforts to advance gender equality in India.
📝Evidence from Latin America and the Caribbean on the Impact of Laws on CEFMU
This brief serves as a primer on the impact of CEFMU laws and sexual consent laws on the prevalence and the human rights and agency of girls, adolescents and young women in the LAC region.
📌 IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
The Day of the African Child
The Day of the African Child (DAC) celebrates the children of Africa and calls for serious introspection and commitment towards addressing the numerous challenges children across the continent face. In 2024, the African Union (AU) and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) set the theme for the DAC as ‘Education for all children in Africa: the time is now.’
Hear from Girls Not Brides members on the importance of education!
World Refugee Day
In Latin America and the Caribbean, over 21 million people have been displaced by conflict and violence.
Join us in recognising the incredible work of La Alianza, a Guatemalan organisation dedicated to giving integral attention to children and adolescents who have been victims of trafficking and sexual violence.
📅 COMING SOON
Regional Conference on Population and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean
Girls Not Brides Secretariat and members from the Latin America and Caribbean region will bring valuable perspectives to this advocacy space. We will focus on bringing visibility to child, early, and forced marriages and unions, promoting comprehensive policies and strong legal frameworks, strengthening sexual and reproductive health and education, and promoting regional coordination.
