Delay Marriage Promote Schooling for Ugandan Girls

As the international day of a girl child is due to be celebrated soon come 11^th October 2023, Uganda is ranked the 16^th out of 25 countries with the highest prevalence of child marriage in the world, and 10^th highest absolute number of child brides totaling to an estimated 4million, current statistics indicate that 34% of the women are married before the age of 18years and 7.3% before the age of 15(UNICEF).

Section 42a (1) of the children’s (amended) Act  of Uganda provides for the protection rights which requires that children should be safe guarded against all forms of abuse, neglect and exploitation which include child marriage, child trafficking female genital mutilation , child labor, defilement and other forms of physical or emotional abuse to a child .

With all the laws, policies and the legal age of consent to marriage in Uganda set at 18 years according to the constitution and the Children’s (Amended) Act of Uganda, child marriage continues to thrive unabated usually arranged or perpetuated by parents, relatives or guardians who do not even report the act since they will also be held liable for aiding and abetting defilement.

This harmful practice has affected most girls by exposing them to sexual practices which they have no consent to and knowledge about or even control over leading to unwanted teenage pregnancies which has led to a large number of deaths of young girls due to hardships in childbearing or the pregnancy process, some of these old men are exposed to sexual transmitted diseases like HIV/AIDS and STDS and end up transmitting the disease to the girl child.

To stop child marriages in Uganda , Joy for Children Uganda (JFCU) is working with members of parliament most especially Uganda parliamentary for children (UPFC)and Uganda women parliamentary association (UWOPA) to support process for the enactment of the sexual offences bill and advocacy for implementation of the existing laws and policies to end child marriage.

The government of Uganda has as well developed a National strategy to End child marriage and teenage pregnancies 2022/2023- 2026/2027. This strategy outlines government’s commitment to revert the current negative trend with a goal to end child marriage and teenage pregnancy in Uganda for. The key strategic focus areas are improved policy and legal environment to protect children and promotion of the girl child’s rights, changing dominant thinking and social norms related to child marriage in the communities and many more.

Joy for Children: The Delay marriage promote schooling for children in Uganda project calls for action  and  need to create more awareness on child marriages, the existing laws against the vice and reporting procedures and helplines which will help in the delay of early child marriage and  most children in Uganda will be exposed to or even complete their education, as we all know education is key and every child in our nation has a right to it, and clearly it is a powerful strategy to end child marriage and ensure girls can fulfill their potential.