To mark the Day of the African Child, 16 June 2015, Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage is calling for renewed action to end child marriage across Africa.
The
theme chosen by the African Union to commemorate Day of the African
Child 2015 is “25 Years after the Adoption of the African Children’s
Charter: Accelerating our Collective Efforts to End Child Marriage in
Africa”.
Once
a taboo issue, child marriage has finally been recognised by the
African Union and many African governments. In addition to a regional
campaign to end child marriage and the increasing number of national
initiatives, more African leaders are committing to end the practice. It
is now time for them to walk the talk and translate their declarations
into actions.
“Africa
has made great progress in its efforts to end child marriage, and we
applaud the African Union and government leaders who have shown their
commitment to this cause. However, if we do not turn these commitments
into sustained action, the number of child brides in sub-Saharan Africa
will double by 2050.” said Girls Not Brides Executive Director, Lakshmi Sundaram.
Girls Not Brides
is calling on all African governments to develop and implement national
strategies and action plans that are comprehensive and well-resourced.
These should include initiatives to empower girls, mobilise families and
communities as agents of change, provide adequate services
(particularly health, education and justice services), and provide a
legal framework that protects girls from marriage and its negative
consequences. They should also work closely with civil society and other
actors to protect all girls at risk and support married girls.
Child marriage: jeopardising Africa’s future
Child
marriage is still a reality for millions of girls across Africa. The
African continent is home to 15 out of the 20 countries with the world’s
highest rates of child marriage. Worldwide, approximately 15 million
girls every year are married before they reach the age of 18. That is
the equivalent of the entire population of Zimbabwe or Mali.
Child
marriage jeopardises efforts to improve maternal and infant health and
has devastating consequences for the girl, her family, and her future
children. Child brides face higher risk of death and injury in pregnancy
and childbirth, with girls under 15 being five times more likely to die
in childbirth than women in their 20s. Their children are at risk too:
when a mother is under 20 her baby is less likely live beyond its first
birthday.
“I
was only 15 when I had my first child and was nearly forced into
getting married. I stood my ground and said no, and I went back to
school” said Isatou Jeng, Project Officer at The Girls' Agenda, a Girls Not Brides member
based in The Gambia. “I was able to take control of my own fate, and
now I work to create an Africa where all girls can do the same”.
There
is a perception that the impact of child marriage is limited, but that
is not the case. This practice curtails Africa’s development and
economic prosperity by denying millions of girls the education and
opportunities that would have empowered them to lift themselves and
their families out of poverty. Over 60% of child brides in developing
countries have received no formal education. The persistence of child
marriage has also hindered Africa’s efforts to achieve six of the eight
Millennium Development Goals.
Through effective partnership, Africa can lead the way to global change
Given
the scale and complexity of child marriage, this practice cannot be
ended by politicians alone. All actors, from lawmakers and community
leaders, to the media and civil society actors and the girls themselves,
have a role to play in making child marriage history.
Through the power of partnership, Girls Not Brides
brings together members working in sectors as varied as health,
education, poverty alleviation, human rights and humanitarian response
in Africa and beyond. Members are developing innovative and effective
programmes to prevent child marriage and mitigate its effects on child
brides.
Françoise Kpeglo Moudouthe, Head of Africa Engagement for Girls Not Brides,
said: “What happens in Africa matters to the rest of the globe. Our
continent can become a model for other regions on how to end child
marriage in a generation. But we can only lead the way and fulfil our
responsibility for the welfare of our children by working together, in
partnership with governments, civil society, community and religious
leaders, families, and with the children themselves.”
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