Building our alliance: Girls Not Brides Latin America and Caribbean Regional Membership Convening

In September 2023, Girls Not Brides in Latin America and the Caribbean held in Bogota, Colombia the first Regional Convening of the membership together with 54 organisations and a committee of 19 young people from 17 countries in the region. The main objective: to draw together a collective, multi-year plan to address child, early and forced marriages and unions (CEFMU) in the region.

During this three-day convening, we sought to build trust between organisations and create a space to get to know each other and the work we do; to define a common vision for the region, to propose priorities based on an analysis of contexts; and finally to define a work plan.

A collective journey to reach the Convening

Prior to the event, a collaborative process was developed that incorporated 5 online sessions in which, through participatory methodologies, we shared experiences and learning on how to address CEFMU from diverse national and local contexts.

In these sessions we shared success stories of local advocacy, we developed a conceptual framework on gender transformative approaches and their impact on addressing CEFMU, and we reflected on the structural causes underlying these practices and some local programmes that address them. Together we came to a collective agreement on what we mean by child, early and forced marriages and unions and how we need to understand and enunciate these practices in their different manifestations.

Children and adolescents, protagonists of their own lives

The previous reflections allowed us to imagine the lives of children and adolescents and their communities if CFEMU were not the only option for them:

We envision a community that can build the autonomy of children and adolescents where rights are no longer privileges but are guaranteed by the State and respected by the community.

Everything we imagine, we see rooted in our feminist work: we think that in order for children and adolescents to be freer and more autonomous, Comprehensive Sexuality Education must be guaranteed.

If child marriages were not the only option, different paths would open up for children and adolescents, possibilities that truly belong to them. We imagine a world where everyone has universal and true access to education, both formal and informal. A world where the arts, music and digital contexts are spaces of development and expression for everyone.

Diversity, feminisms and youth participation strengthen us as an alliance in the region.

As part of situating ourselves in our contexts, getting to know our work and recognising ourselves as an alliance, we carried out an exercise to identify what strengthens us by articulating ourselves regionally.

• The diversity of languages, approaches, methodologies, contexts and knowledge gives us the opportunity to be present and gain experience in diverse territories, at the community, national and regional levels. Thanks to this diversity, as a partnership, we are able to have evidence that reflects this variety, strengthening our capacity to disseminate and amplify messages that generate significant change.
• Feminist knowledge and principles strengthen our alliance by prioritising collective work, analysis from an intersectional and situated perspective, as well as network-based work. Collectivity emerges as a fundamental principle that ensures our continuity and fosters constant collaboration.
• In addition, we have communications resources and experience in creative campaigns that place the voices and strategies of children, adolescents and youth at the heart of the design and execution of our campaigns.

Discovering the way to strengthen our partnership

In order to consolidate as a partnership, it is essential to address some key challenges in four fundamental areas.

1. Gender Transformative Approaches (GTAs): The lack of a common understanding of these approaches within organisations hinders their effective implementation. It is crucial to have tools to measure our work involving children, adolescents and youth, and to reflect on gender from decolonial and intersectional perspectives. The incorporation of new methodologies and resource management are vital to take these approaches to the transformative level.
2. Youth Empowerment: Recognising and strengthening the capacities of young people requires the creation of open and inclusive spaces that de-stigmatise their role. Facilitating spaces for expression, sharing and reflection is essential to better understand young people's experiences of CEFMU. Inclusive strategies that reach out to young people outside of institutional settings are critical, as is challenging the burden of time and dedication required, especially when faced with limitations in accessing paid employment.
3. Effective Advocacy: To achieve a significant impact, it is necessary to recognise ourselves in the territories and carry out contextual diagnoses at national and regional level. Positioning CEFMU on political agendas, identifying setbacks and understanding political crises are essential steps. Articulation of key messages and advocacy on existing legal mechanisms are also vital to drive change.
4. Strengthening the Alliance: Identifying resources, regularly updating policies and establishing a collective identity are pillars for our consolidation. The implementation of commission structures and governance at country and regional level provides an organisational framework. Spaces to carry the collective voice, increase membership in more countries and overcome language barriers are crucial steps to strengthen our regional alliance.

Towards a collective plan in the region

This meeting and the participatory exercises made it possible to have a roadmap for our actions in the coming years. We now have a multi-year plan for 2024 and 2025, which is integrated into the work of the Regional Secretariat. This plan will focus on addressing the challenges identified in crucial areas such as Gender Transformative Approaches, Active Youth Participation, Effective Advocacy and Strengthening the Alliance.

If you would like to find out more, get involved with the alliance or apply for membership in the region, please write to us or visit our networks.