Combat Child, Early & Forced Marriages in Uganda

This project contributes to increased access to good quality education among girl children in Kibuku District in Uganda through advocating for girls rights to health, education, to live in security and to choose when and whom they marry. The project targets to rescue 785 girls aged 13-18 years from child, early and forced marriages and increase their access to good quality primary and secondary education.

The project addresses the challenge of increased early, child and forced marriages in Uganda. In Uganda more than 34% of girls are married before their 18th birthday every year in Uganda, and 1 in 10 is married before turning 15 years. in addition, COVID 19 caused escalation of teenage pregnancies and school dropout including child mothers. platform.

Achievements

• 58 leaders mobilized and sensitized on 2020 new guidelines on pregnancy prevention and management in schools
• 90 parents mobilized and sensitized on 2020 new guidelines on pregnancy prevention and management in schools
• 120 adolescent girls mobilized and sensitized and provided sexual and reproductive health education
• 91 adolescent girls provided schostic materials
• 121 adolescent girls provided re-usable sanitary pads.
• Procured meals and refreshments for 21 girls that sat for end of year Uganda National Examinations

Challenges:

• Limited financial support to accelerate project implementation
• High cost of re-usable sanitary pads
• Child bearing girls face challenges of paying baby sitter. They are not allowed to enter classes with babies and when they lack them they absent from studies taking responsibility of caring for their children.  
• High expectations by the target girls

 

Recommendation:

• This project calls for the intervention of all well-wishers to support the reduction of child, early and forced marriages in Uganda. Child marriage is a human right violation issue and required a lot of attention. The increased child marriages in Uganda also undermine both the government and donors efforts put in education sector.