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Lakshmi Moore, program director for Girls First Fund
Girls First Fund is the first and largest donor collaborative of its size that is solely dedicated to funding efforts to end child marriage. I'm joined here today by a panel that I hope will inspire you all. Together with Girls Not Brides, Vow for Girls, we at Girls First Fund believe that local actors are the experts. And they are the one who will drive change. And we've seen change happen over the last three decades, change has happened at multiple levels.
We've seen change with girls themselves. We've seen change in the household, with their family, at the community level, at the national level, and at the global level. And all of this change is thanks to the efforts of multiple actors who share the same vision to end child marriage. So with today's panel, we will share stories, we will be able to hear from three inspiring and wonderful activists in the work that you're doing. The y will also be able to share with us the strategies that are working to end child marriage. We invite innovation, and we'll be able to reflect on what is needed to sustain those efforts to end child marriage. Thank you.
So I'll start first with Ulanda. There is indisputable evidence that education is extremely effective in delaying the age of marriage. And we've also learned that comprehensive sexuality education and educating girls about their sexual health and reproductive rights is vital in turning that delay into deeper social norms change.
Ulanda Mtamba works with advancing girls' education in Africa (Advancing Girls' Education in Africa - AGE Africa). This week, Michelle Obama, Melinda French Gates and Amal Clooney visited your work in Malawi. So I'm sure you're super excited. Can you tell us about how local organisations like yours are uniquely positioned to deliver tactics that help create a space that girls can get an education that provides a safe space for them and empower them to be able to stay in school and learn and have a choice other than marriage and pursue careers?
Ulanda Mtamba, Country Director of Advancing Girls' Education in Africa (AGE Africa)
Thank you very much Lakshmi. I've already been introduced, working for advancing girls' education in Africa, as local actors that we work right directly in the community where the girls are found. Surely we get the first-hand information through the engagement that we have with the younger girls. In the communities where we work. We have structures that really works. And we believe that these structures, if they're strengthened, we can be able to end child marriage. As AGE Africa we have seen how the Chats programme, which is a life skills programme that empowers young girls and young women through the leadership development, self advocacy to end child marriage, sexual reproductive health, human rights and gender.
They're able to champion and challenge the social norms that exist in the communities. The impact for AGE Africa that we've seen through young girls that have gone through our programme is so tremendous. I will challenge you here this afternoon that if you can see a girl child that has gone through Chats programme for AGE Africa, they're successfully paying forward, supporting other girls and making sure that they are able to remain in school. Our Chats programme has been able to reach over 4,500 Girls in Malawi and also 4 million through the radio programme, because the Chats programme, as we realise that we need to meet with the girls and engage them through the safe space, where they're able to share what they feel what they face, and also not to be judged by anyone. It has also been transformed into the digital platform so that we can reach each girl at each corner in Malawi.
And today, it's through the Chats radio programme, we have several girls that have been so successful. And our statistics really show that almost 95% of our secondary school scholar beneficiaries have finished their secondary school. And 95%, they have managed to delay pregnancy, and as well as getting married beyond the age of 18, and 55% are able to transition to the university and 99% graduate against the 1% of the national statistics. So AGE Africa programmes really has shown that impact. So as local actors, we believe that we are there in the communities where we can be able to change and transform and be able to bring this new narrative that a girl child can access education, and be able to win and make life changing choices through the opportunities that is provided.
I want to give you an opportunity that during the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the districts in Malawi almost 7,000 young girls got pregnant within the period of six months. And that really broke our heart and AGE Africa was there working in the community directly touching the lives of girls, distributing learning materials and supplies, just to make sure that girls are protected. Now think about this, 7,000-plus girls are now mothers. And it's so heartbreaking when all the international communities left the communities, we were there to support the young girls so that they access the education. Thank you so much.
Lakshmi Moore, program director for Girls First Fund
Thank you so much. Thank you for the work you're doing. I'll now move on to Kadiatu Konate, Kadiatu is the executive director of The Young Girls Leaders' Club of Guinea. She started her activism to end child marriage at the age of 10 by defying her father and rescuing girls who were being forced into marriage in a culture where being married early is the norm. Today Kadi's organisation of 5,000 members advocate against child marriage, female genital mutilation and gender-based violence across Guinea, with a focus also on digital campaigns in grassroots engagement. Kadi, what changes have you seen in a girls' ability to successfully negotiate their marriage since you started your activism?
Kadiatu Konate, executive director of The Young Girl Leaders Club of Guinea
Thank you so much. Hello, everyone. I'm Kadiatu Konate from Guinea. But I explain my speech in French. Yes. So my colleague is there to help me. Merci beaucoup.
(translation)
Thank you very much. What is interesting here is first we should know the place or the position of a girl because to end child marriage that start with the girl itself. She should know what is a position and how to establish a dialogue between herself and the parents because the strength, the power and everything evolves around the girl.
So I can say that when we started our organisation we were all under 15, and I must say as well that girls now are starting to understand that the leadership actually lies with them. So they're starting to understand to realise that they can have an impact not only in Guinea or even beyond Guinea in the country, so decisions can't be taken on their behalf. Decisions should be taken by themselves.
We are, we have, powerful. And we know we can change this world. We can decide for us. It's not impossible. Everything it's possible if we want and this is our work in Guinea.
Translator: I think I must say what she said in the beginning, you need to know what she said. She said it's not the norm in my country. If you are going to expect parents to go to the protection services to report such cases - child marriage or any other thing going against the girls. That's not the norm. But we have managed in our organisation to influence the girls. Now they understand that if there is any issue, if their rights are violated, themselves can approach the protection authorities services to report anything going against their rights. And now girls are starting to understand they are right. That's what you said in the beginning.
Lakshmi Moore, program director for Girls First Fund
Thank you, Kadi. Just quickly, you've already talked about the changes you're seeing at the community level. How have your activism also made changes with the government?
Kadiatu Konate, executive director of The Young Girl Leaders Club of Guinea (translation)
I can say that in my country. Our organisation is being labelled as not a very good organisation because they think we are turning girls into rebels because they are now finding out about their rights, and which is a very good thing in the community because they now know that girls have rights. So you can't do anything without their consent, or involving them. You can't decide on their behalf - it's a very good thing in the community, at least they know that.
(translation)
To summarise what she said: Sometimes if you're doing a good job, don't expect anyone to just clap their hands for you. And I must say that our government with civil society organisations are working together, and actually we are forcing them to do a good job, which is implemented in a way that I must say that in the past, we had 63% of child marriage cases, and which went down to 54. And from 54, as we speaking now, it's down to 43%.
Lakshmi Moore, program director for Girls First Fund
Amazing. Thank you so much, Kadi, I'm always inspired by you speaking so powerfully, Rebeca, I'll now come to you. Rebeca Gyumi is the executive director of The Msichana Initiative in Tanzania. She was born and raised in Tanzania, where she was aware of her privileges in terms of access to education as compared to other girls who did not have that. And other girls who are dropping out of school. As a lawyer, Rebeca challenged her country's legal system, winning a landmark ruling in 2016, to raise the age of child marriage for girls in Tanzania from 14 to 18. Her organisation was also part of those that legally challenged the Tanzania's government ban on adolescent mothers' access to formal education. So Rebeca, please share with us your experience in using the power of the law to address child marriage.
Rebeca Gyumi, founder and e x ecutive director of The Msichana Initiative
Thank you very much. I think for me, and the constituents that I'm representing, we understand how powerful legal policy or legal framework can be in standing standard in setting standard for what is allowed or not allowed in a community. So for Tanzania in particular, we have been working to really ensure our policies, legal framework, in particular, are responding to this, what I'll call human violation, because child marriage is really a human violation, and denying of, you know, girls, right. So we know legal framework, in essence, is critical in settings standards on what is allowed or not allowed, but at the same time, through legal framework, it's easier for countries or our communities to actually create legal redress mechanisms, and remedies for survivors of child marriages.
But we also know that a legal framework alone cannot be very effective. So it needs to be coupled with pedagogical pursuit, how we are educating the communities, how we are working with communities, to ensure whatever change that is happening, really transforms the lives of girls in the community. And we have worked with a couple of districts in the country using what we call Msichana affairs, which are community platforms led by community members without regarding gender, age, you know, and the economic background. So that really community champions can take back the changes that we're seeing in legal framework, and customise them to fit the community needs.
And as a result, we have seen, I'll give an example of one district in Tanzania, it's called Bahai Iin Dodoma region). We have worked there since 2017, after the community members understood why it was important to protect girls. But actually, by having policies and frameworks that works for girls, they went ahead and champion that community to create a bylaw, you know, taking the inspiration from the national campaign that was going on, to raise the minimum age and customise it to their own communities. And as a result, we have seen in that community alone, that we've been working for a long time, a reduction of child marriage cases of 60%, which was quite significant, you know, understanding how critical child marriage or cases were in that community, and how the legal reform actually helped to change that.
So, reflecting to the power of law or power of using law and legal framework as far as child marriage is concerned, I would say it's quite critical and we've seen from the time back using pieces likethe Maputo Protocol, the SADC Model Law in ending child marriages, and how that was quite influential and powerful in influencing how communities in Tanzania actually worked around customising that to create the standard for what is allowed and what is not allowed, and then have clear enforcement and response mechanism around that. We are not there yet because we were expecting the Bill to be tabled.
And that is something that we are working on, but we also understand. We are cognizant of the fact that issues like legislation also requires collective action. So we have been working with, you know, the young women, the women's movement in the country, because we know, it's important to build bold collectives that can really rally behind these changes, because then it's easier for them to go back and enforce them in their own communities.
Lakshmi Moore, program director for Girls First Fund
Thank you.
This is something we hear all the time at Girls First Fund. How do you address scale? Right, and one of the ways that we say you can address scale to be able to reach many people and make impact is through the law. But how do we reconcile the law right, and having in place like legislation with this tension? We heard Kadiatu to speak about that in terms of communities not coming to report. So how do we reconcile this tension between girls who may not want to see punitive actions taken against their parents or community members, and then need to have gender sensitive laws?
Rebeca Gyumi, founder and e x ecutive director of The Msichana Initiative
Well, that's a very interesting question. I think for me, whenever I think of reconciliation and taking it back to my community, I think reconciliation is a term that is used to deny girls' rights. And I'll give you an example of a practice in one of our regions called Kilimanjaro, where they will sort of like extend a branch called "Jani la Sale" whenever a victim of violence needs to go and access justice. So a perpetrator will sort of like extend that branch to the family, for reconciliation.
So for me, when I think of this tension, it takes me back to also the concept of reconciliation and how it has been used to deny girls rights. And I also don't feel that girls, like I feel girls shouldn't carry the burden of reconciling communities which have failed them at first place. And I also feel this tension exists in our communities, because of lack of empathy, and victim blaming, which has perpetuated the cultural silence and non-reporting of violence generally.
I wouldn't say, reconciling the tension, but what can we do maybe around this? I think, first we need to work with communities, you know, using gender transformative approach. So communities can understand power relations, socialisation, and interest and how they disadvantaged girls. So that girls are not the one carrying the burden, but the communities understand the burden should be with the perpetrators. That's the first point. The second point for me, I also feel we should focus on survivor-centred access to justice.
Because if many girls, like what my sister said, they are already responding to the demand that they know their rights and they are standing up for their rights. If our access to justice system does not create ways where girls can actually receive, let's say, psychosocial support, or you know, have reintegration into their communities, then, for sure, they will feel ashamed, they will feel guilty for standing up, and speaking out for their rights. And the last one is to support the girl-led groups. So girls can have a strong support system that really inspires them to take that action. And they don't have the fear of isolation that when I stand up and speak out for my right, I will be the only one, I will be the outcast in the community, have that strong support system that can really support them when they're when they're standing up and speaking out for their rights.
And here I would like to end by quoting Wangari Maathai. Wangari left us with a bold statement around human rights. Human rights are not things that we are given. She said these are things that you have to fight for, and protect. So I think we need to go with that when it comes to access to justice for girls. It's really re-politicising the violence that girls are going through, and ensure the perpetrators are the ones who are blamed and shamed, and not the girl.
Lakshmi Moore, program director for Girls First Fund
Thank you.
I could stay all day and continue this conversation with you. You're all powerful, and the work that you do is making a real impact on the lives of girls. But I have to close, and we have an opportunity for you to tell us, tell this room, one bold advice you give to those of us who want to support your work. What is the one thing that could be so radical to change the work that you're doing in your country to end child marriage? One bold advice? I'll start with you. Yes.
Rebeca Gyumi, founder and e x ecutive director of The Msichana Initiative
Let me start by quoting Nelson Mandela, since we are here in Cape Town, South Africa. He said courage is not the absence of fear, but triumph over it. I think my bold advice would be, we need to be courageously and boldly standing up for what we think is right. Our radical action is in our radical hope that we can demand for better tomorrow for girls of Africa, and girls of the world, but also really investing into things, you know, solidarity, looking at investment, and bold collective action.
Lakshmi Moore, program director for Girls First Fund
Thank you. Ulanda?
Ulanda Mtamba, Country Director of Advancing Girls' Education in Africa
Thank you very much. For me, I would say that every child has got the rights to access to education, enough of young children becoming mothers, before the age of 18. It is a human rights violation. The word women leaders and men that are here, I would say that we are leaders in our own spaces, whether at global, national or local level, we can do something, we can change this, we can create a world where no child should be married off at the age below a 18. I've shared with you the impact of AGE Africa. And this is just one organisation that is doing quite a lot in Malawi.
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But to look at our work, and when you see the impact, enough of these short-term grants that are so limited to us, two years, three years grant cycle cannot show this impact I was presenting here. We need much more, prolonged support. So that impact can be seen right there at local level. As local leaders, we are committed to change this, as young leaders, as young women out there wanting to change this, they need support. And help us to get through, through the support that you can give us so that we can expand whatever we doing, and change this whole thing of child marriage. And I'm so happy there is this movement that we are committed, we are joining hands that we can be able to reach the zero in our countries, because the numbers are getting down yes, but we are not yet there. We need to reach a point where we can create the bright future for the girls so that they can be able to take their opportunities and their choices whether it's sexual reproductive health choices, education and all that. So to me I would say that help us to get through and we can help the girls to be able to get through. Thank you.
Kadiatu Konate, executive director of The Young Girl Leaders Club of Guinea
I will start with my question. Why do you want to support our work? Do you want to support our work for your benefits? Or do you want to support our work because it's very and really important for us?
(translation)
Well, I'd like to invite you to work hard on the issue of child marriage because it's destroying millions and millions of girls. It should first be a personal mission that you should, we should each have here.
(translation)
I'll try and summarise what she said.
There is a feminist foundation which avails more than 70 billion for its project around the world. But in Africa, we only receive less than 20%. Yet you see in Africa where girls are facing issues, women are facing issues in the world, actually, Africa can say is the highest, where the rate is the highest. So I'm pleading with you, I'm inviting you to please review the donation systems around the world. Review how you grant donations to countries or to different organisations, make sure that Africa gets what's required, what is important so that we can move on with this work of ending child marriage and other related issues.
Lakshmi Moore, program director for Girls First Fund
And now we close. Thank you all so much for the work that you do. Along with Girls Not Brides, Vow for Girls, we at Girls First Fund believe that the investment in ending child marriage is an investment towards gender equality. When girls can make a decision about do they want to get married, who they want to get married to, when they want to get married. When girls can access education, make decisions about the sexual reproductive rights, have access to opportunities, whether it's formal or informal. We believe that the fight against child marriage is the fight to promote gender equality.
So I invite you all to join us and join the movement, whether in your individual capacity, or as organisations or as wonderful donors who are now aware of these organisations and the call for increased support. Join the fight to end child marriage, and together we can ensure that no girl has to get married before 18. But also we can ensure that girls all around the world are able to decide the future that they want and become as powerful as you all and all our activists here with us today. So thank you, and join us.
Moderator Lakshmi Moore, program director for Girls First Fund, Kadiatu Konate, executive director of The Young Girl Leaders Club of Guinea, Ulanda Mtamba, Country Director of Advancing Girls' Education in Africa (AGE Africa), and Rebeca Gyumi, founder and executive director of The Msichana Initiative, spoke on a panel at the End Child Marriage event led by African icon Graca Machel, founder of The Graca Machel Trust and The Foundation for Community Development, Michelle Obama, former First Lady of the U.S and founder of the Girls Opportunity Alliance, Melinda French Gates, global philanthropist and co-chair of the Gates Foundation, and Amal Clooney, leading human rights lawyer and founder of Clooney Foundation for Justice.
