Innovative Approaches to Ending Child Marriage in a COVID-19 World
Discover the multi-faceted response by Girls Not Brides to end child marriage amidst COVID-19 limitations. Explore the impact of the pandemic on child marriage, innovative solutions, and the urgent call to action for supporting girls' rights and preventing harmful practices.
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ENDING CHILD MARRIAGE IN A COVID-WORLD Dr Faith Mwangi-Powell CEO Girls Not Brides
Multi-faceted response to end child Marriage Girls Not Brides believes that legal reforms including criminalisation should only be pursued alongside interventions to ensure that girls, married and not married can fulfil their full potential. These interventions are: Investments in primary and secondary education, Comprehensive sexual education, Economic empowerment and Youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services.
But COVID-19 is limiting application of such interventions
Impact of COVID-19 on child marriage UNFPA estimates that the total effect of the pandemic could mean approximately 13 million additional child marriages. Lockdown will limit access to essential services for adolescent girls and negative impacts will be compounded by effects of a global recession. UNICEF doing modelling based on Ebola crisis. Limited consensus on scale of potential impacts but agreement on pathways through which COVID-19 will impact and verified by members. Increase in violence against girls and women Economic Access to education Health Impacts Lockdowns and school closures have disrupted learning. Steep increase in rates of sexual and gender- based violence. Difficulty accessing sexual and reproductive health services during lock down, including access to safe abortion and contraception. Many households have lost livelihoods. Decline in GDP means less funding for girls education and livelihoods opportunities for women. School closures having disproportionate impact on poor (e.g. cost of online access and likely increase in education expenditure). Lack of services including helplines, shelters, law enforcement etc. Women facing disproportionate job losses. Marriage often seen as protective by parents.
Innovation, Innovation COVID-19 requires innovation: From mobilising girl volunteers to make masks in Rajasthan, using trucks with mobile PA systems to call for safety for girls in Uganda, to hand-drawing posters in India when printers shut down, Our members are at the forefront of adapting to the new reality and ensuring that girls at risk of child marriage, and married girls, are not forgotten. We are also calling policy-makers to review their existing line ministry plans and budgets, and reallocate or distribute funds more equitably to support girls and prevent/respond to Covid
Call to Action We all need to accelerate our efforts and develop innovative approaches towards the progressive realization of the SDGs in particular SDG5.3 to eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage . and the importance of including the voices of girls. Unless we bring an end to child marriage, we will not achieve 8 of the 17 SDGs, including those related to: poverty,food security, health, education, gender equality, economic growth, and peace and justice.
Ending child marriage is not only the right thing to do, it is also necessary to make a more equitable and prosperous world a reality.
