Feminist Movements, Power and the Fight to End Child Marriage: Reflections from AWID 2024

Mobilising Resources for Sustainable Impact

The global movement to end child marriage has successfully secured funding to elevate awareness and drive action. Governments, donors, and feminist organisations have recognised the need for flexible, long-term, and core funding to support grassroots and women-led initiatives addressing CEFMU.

However, discussions at AWID 2024 also highlighted ongoing funding challenges for feminist movements, especially in the Global South. Activists called for a shift from short-term project-based funding to sustained resourcing that enables systemic change. Feminist foreign policy was also scrutinised, as many Global North governments brand themselves as feminist while continuing to fund oppressive regimes and impose restrictive funding mechanisms.

A key takeaway was the urgent need for funders to engage directly with feminist movements, support intersectional approaches, and prioritise girl-led, youth-led and women-led initiatives.

Integrated Solutions: Ending Child Marriage as Part of a Broader Justice Agenda

AWID 2024 underscored that ending child marriage requires addressing structural inequalities, poverty, and harmful social norms. As Vedasto Nsanzugwanko from UNICEF, emphasised, combating child marriage must be linked to broader Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly:

• Goal 1: No Poverty
• Goal 5: Gender Equality
• Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities
• Goal 13: Climate Action
• Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

The session on climate justice and feminist economic transformation resonated deeply with anti-child marriage activists. The intersection between climate change, economic insecurity and child marriage was made clear—when families face environmental disasters or economic hardship, girls are often the first to be forced into marriage. Feminist activists called for energy sovereignty, economic autonomy, and decolonised climate policies that recognise the invisible labour of women and girls.

Reclaiming SRHR and Challenging Anti-Rights Movements

The fight for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) remains central to ending child marriage. However, across Africa, Latin America, and beyond, anti-rights movements are pushing back against progress and spreading misinformation.

At AWID, activists discussed strategies to reclaim rights-based language and counter harmful narratives, including:

• Strengthening grassroots organising and alternative funding models to sustain feminist work.
• Engaging local champions and traditional leaders to challenge harmful norms.
• Leveraging digital tools and media to push back against anti-gender rhetoric.
• Building intergenerational feminist solidarity to sustain momentum.

Feminist leaders stressed that SRHR is non-negotiable and that combatting child marriage must include comprehensive sexuality education, access to contraception, and legal protections for adolescent girls.

Engaging Parents, Legal Officers, and Communities

A critical challenge in ending child marriage is ensuring laws are effectively enforced. Even in countries with strong legislation—like Zambia—the capacity of legal officers to implement and uphold these laws remains weak. AWID discussions reinforced the need to:

• Engage parents and caregivers in shifting harmful social norms.
• Invest in legal capacity-building to strengthen enforcement mechanisms.
• Centre girl-led and community-driven solutions for lasting change.

Additionally, challenging patriarchal norms that devalue girls and women was identified as key to shifting long-term behaviours.

Prioritising the Wellness of Activists

One often-overlooked issue in movement-building is the wellness and sustainability of activists. While significant resources are dedicated to supporting survivors of child marriage, the mental health and resilience of activists fighting for change must also be prioritised.

AWID 2024 emphasised that:

• Activists need intentional investment in their well-being to sustain their work.
• Feminist movements must challenge burnout culture and the over-extraction of labour from women’s rights defenders.
• Wellness is a political issue, and resourcing must reflect that.