Empowering Futures: The Role of Gender Equality in Ending Child Marriage in Nigeria

Reported plans to fund a mass wedding of 100 orphaned girls in Niger State, Nigeria, have sparked significant controversy and public outcry

The aim of the plan, spearheaded by Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, the Speaker of the Niger state House of Assembly, was to provide support to orphans who had lost their parents in violent attacks. However, it has faced extensive criticism over concerns that some of the young women involved may be underage, and marriages may have been coerced with financial incentives.

Federal Women Affairs Minister Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye has been a vocal critic of the plan, raising issues regarding the ages and consent of the girls involved. She has petitioned for an investigation and filed for an injunction to halt the weddings. The minister emphasised the need to ensure that any marriages comply with legal standards and that the rights of the girls are protected. Her stance is that underage marriage is unacceptable, and she advocates for the empowerment of the girls through education and other supportive programs instead of early marriage.

The state of child marriage in Nigeria

The case highlights the broader challenges of addressing child marriage in Nigeria, where cultural, religious, and economic factors intertwine to limit the options available to many girls. While mass weddings are seen by some - including sometimes girls themselves - as a practical solution to poverty, they conflict with efforts to protect children's rights and promote gender equality.

Child, Early, Forced Marriages and Unions (CEFMU) are both a cause and effect of gender inequality. In recent years, advocacy efforts have made significant strides in promoting the delay of marriage until the age of 18. However more accelerated action is still needed as millions of girls are being married off before the age of 18 worldwide.

Addressing child marriage in Nigeria through gender-transformative approaches

Girls Not Brides embraces a gender-transformative approach to address child, early, and forced marriage and unions (CEFMU) – we know we can only end child marriage if we address the root causes of gender inequality. This approach focuses on tackling the shared roots of child marriage and gender inequality, transforming gendered norms, ensuring girls’ equitable access to education, health and other services. The approach also focuses on empowering and recognising the role girls play as change makers, advocates, and frontliners in the effort to address discriminatory practices such as child, early and forced marriages.

In communities facing insecurity and limited access to health, education and other social services – especially for girls from disadvantaged backgrounds who are at highest risk of child marriage and other rights violations - there’s a critical need to create alternatives to marriage or unions, which otherwise continue to be seen as at best the least bad option, and at worst the only option open to girls.

How do we ensure girls have options and alternatives to child marriage?

Ensuring girls have options from which to choose requires critical dialogue with the Nigerian government for all girls to enjoy 12 years’ free education, access to adolescent-friendly health services, economic opportunities and laws and policies as well as access to justice in line with the government’s commitments to protect, respect and fulfil the equal rights of girls and boys.

There must be a commitment to uplifting the status and well-being of girls by safeguarding their rights to education, health, and economic opportunities. Child marriage severely affects girls’ physical and emotional health, puts them at greater risk of intimate partner violence, and compromises the realisation of their economic rights and life plans. We believe that transformative change can occur within a single generation. By ending child marriage, we can empower girls, boys, women and men to reach their full potential, leading to unprecedented positive transformations within their communities. Which contributes to national prosperity, peace, development and security.

Our call to action!

The Girls Not Brides Global Secretariat and its member organisations in Nigeria call on the Government of Nigeria to create opportunities for girls and women by investing in:

• 12 years’ free education for all;
• adolescent-friendly sexual and reproductive health services;
• and laws and policies that protect, respect and fulfil the rights of children and adolescent girls.

Traditional and religious leaders have an important role to play in the promotion of gender equality including a girl’s right to be enrolled in school, remain in school and complete her education and to choose if, when and whom to marry. Families and communities also have an important role to play in fostering an environment where women and girls can thrive and achieve their aspirations.

It is important to note that addressing child marriage requires a holistic and culturally sensitive approach that considers the unique challenges and contexts of different communities, states and countries. Collaboration among various stakeholders at local, national, and international levels is crucial for achieving meaningful and sustainable results.

To fulfil Nigeria's obligations under African and international human rights law to protect, respect and fulfil the equal rights of all children, we urge all states in Nigeria to put into practice the Child Rights Act. We urge the Nigerian government to collaborate with relevant stakeholders and authorities, including religious and traditional leaders, communities, families, girls themselves, and other relevant stakeholders and influencers to:

• change social norms and attitudes towards child marriage;
• close legal loopholes that allow for child marriages or provide exceptions;
• and promote education for all children especially girls to empower them with knowledge and skills;

to fulfil Nigeria’s commitment to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 5.3, which aims to eliminate child marriage by 2030.