Combat Child, Early & Forced Marriages in Uganda

Summary

The extent to which girl child school dropout is is escalating in Kibuku district, Uganda is alarming due to child and early marriages, and pregnancies despite, the universal primary and secondary education.  This hinders the achievement of the education Programme in the country. More than 34% of girls are married before their 18th birthday every year in Uganda. Girls live under hard conditions that expose them to early pregnancies, child, early and forced marriages including poor health conditions. The project rescues girls aged 13-18 years from child, early and forced marriages in Uganda and increase their access to good quality primary and secondary education by addressing early, child and forced marriages challenges in the country through community mobilization and sensitization of parents and adolescent girls, provide scholastic materials and re-usable sanitary pads. This is therefore, a project progress report for October to December, 2025.  

Achievements

•  55 parents mobilized and sensitized on 2020 new guidelines on pregnancy prevention and management in schools which give room for a pregnant girl to go to school
•  3 community awareness campaign meeting on early, child and forced was conducted in Kibuku district reaching messages 350 people
•  102 girl children in schools sensitized on the negative effects of child, early and forced marriages
• Made follow-up of 8 girls that had dropped out of school and reinstated 6 in schools.
•  82 adolescent girls provided scholastic materials (books , bags and  mathematical sets)
•  95 adolescent girls provided re-usable sanitary pads.

Challenges:

•  Internet shut down during presidential  election period in Uganda affected early reporting Limited financial support still remains a challenge to orient local leaders on defilement laws
•  Stigma is high among pregnant and child bearing girls remain in schools and as such they drop out of school.
•  High expectations by the target girls

Recommendation:

 The organization request well-wishers to extend support to the reduction of child, early and forced marriages in Uganda. Child marriage is a human right violation issue and require a lot of attention. The increased child marriages in Uganda also undermine both the government and donors efforts put in education sector.

Links:

• http//www.kado.or.ug