Dear friend,  

In times of crisis, girls and young women face some of the most severe impacts, and are put at higher risk of child marriage. 

In Malawi – where 42% of girls are married before they are 18 – girls living in refugee camps can see marriage as their only option. This was the case for Rachel, a young woman who fled violence and unrest in her home country of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

That was until she sought support from Girls Not Brides member organisation, SOFERES.

“They told me that I shouldn’t think of men as a means of support. Instead, I should concentrate on my training, so that I can acquire practical skills.” 

- Rachel, Malawi

With SOFERES’ support, Rachel learned new skills including tailoring, which enabled her to change the pattern of her life, to stand up for her rights and avoid marrying as a child. 

Find out how Rachel and other young women in Malawi work with SOFERES to overcome difficult circumstances and become self-reliant.

While Rachel and other girls, adolescents and young women like her have been able to pursue their life goals, millions around the world still experience and are at risk of child marriage.

Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage is working every day to change that, and ensure girls and women enjoy equal status with boys and men, and can achieve their dreams. 

Thank you for your ongoing support and contribution to the movement. If you enjoyed reading Rachel’s story, you can help raise awareness of child marriage and what works to end it by sharing this tweet.

Every girl or young woman’s story told and shared moves us closer to a gender equal world. You are part of this change.

In solidarity,

Girls Not Brides

Further reading & latest news

New Girls Not Brides online learning series – We recently held the first session in a webinar series on “what works to end child marriage”. Watch the recording and find related materials from the first session on cash transfers, and sign up for the next session on prevalence trends around the world.

UNICEF report on Horn of Africa – Child marriage and female genital mutilation/cutting are increasing at an “alarming rate” as a result of the intensifying drought crisis. Read the full report.

Kenyan Children’s Bill 2021 passed – Girls Not Brides member organisations welcomed the passing of the Children’s Bill in Kenya. The new bill will provide greater legislative protection from child marriage and other harmful practices and gender-based violence. It is evidence of the power of collective action to generate change.

Guide to using the law to end child marriage in India – India has made significant progress towards ending child marriage, but still has the most child marriages in the world. Read this guide and directory – published with Women Power Connect and the Socio-Legal Information Centre – to better understand child marriage in India, and how we can all act to prevent it.

Girls’ sexuality and child marriage donor brief – Developed with the Child, Early and Forced Marriage and Unions and Sexuality Working Group, this brief supports funders to invest in gender-transformative approaches that address control of adolescent sexuality as a core driver of child marriage. Read the brief.

How Indigenous women say we should address child marriage – We think it’s important to support the Indigenous groups and organisations demanding responses and actions to address child marriage. Read this blog for five of their recommendations.