Highlights from the Leaders Convening to End Child Marriage and Support Adolescent Girls in Cape Town
As part of the ongoing collaboration between Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage, Girls First Fund, VOW for Girls, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Clooney Foundation for Justice, and Girls Opportunity Alliance, dedicated activists and leaders joined together at The Centre for the Book, an outreach unit of the National Library of South Africa, united in their efforts to end child marriage and support adolescent girls.
Speakers included Graça Machel, Michelle Obama, Melinda French Gates, Amal Clooney, Dr Faith Mwangi-Powell, Lakshmi Moore, Memory Banda, Rebeca Gyumi, Kadidiatou Konate, and Ulanda Mtamba.
Leaders from around the world gather together to amplify voices to end child marriage
The heartbeat of the event was the Ending Child Marriage discussion, comprising of a panel of experts working with and in their communities to end child marriage. Chaired by Program Director at Girls First Fund Lakshmi Moore, Founder and Executive Director of the Msichana Initiative Rebeca Gyumi, Executive Director of the Young Leaders Club of Guinea Kadidiatou Konate, and Country Director of Advancing Girls’ Educationin Africa Ulanda Mtamba shared their expertise on how to end child marriage, including and strategies that have made an impact in their country.
"We don't need one leader, we need many, at the global, national, and community levels"
Dr. Faith Mwangi-Powell, CEO of Girls Not Brides. Photo: The Obama Foundation
"Legal frameworks are critical in setting standards of what is and is not allowed. But it is not effective alone."
Rebeca Gyumi, Executive Director of the Msichana Initiative, and the Tanzania Ending Child Marriage Network. Photo: The Obama Foundation
"We are powerful and we can change this world."
Kadiatou Konate, Executive Director of the Young Girl Leaders Club of Guinea. Photo: The Obama Foundation
"Enough of girls becoming mothers before 18 - it is a human rights violation."
Ulanda Mtamba, Malawi's Country Director of Advancing Girls' Education in Africa. Photo: The Obama Foundation
This was followed by a panel of global leaders, including Former First Lady of Mozambique and South Africa and Girls Not Brides global champion Graça Machel, Former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama, global philanthropist Melinda French Gates, and leading human rights lawyer Amal Clooney.
The event served as a resounding call to action to act now to end child marriage.
Leaders Convening to End Child Marriage and Support Adolescent Girls in Cape Town panel. Photo: The Obama Foundation
Raising awareness of child marriage around the world and the need for collective action
The event was covered by media outlets from around the world, exemplifying the power of unified voices and collective action in raising awareness of the issue of child marriage. Coverage highlights include:
- Obama, Clooney and Gates: 'We can end child marriage in a generation' - BBC News
- Amal Clooney, Melinda French Gates and Michelle Obama on their fight to end child marriage: Exclusive - Glamour Magazine
- ‘All girls need is a chance’ says Michelle Obama at Cape Town discussion on eradicating child marriage - Daily Maverick
Mundia Situmbeko, Girls Not Brides on BBC News
Outcomes and what next?
Girls Not Brides also convened leaders of National Partnerships and coalitions from the Southern Africa region, who together discussed strategies to advocate for the application of the SADC Model Law in Southern African countries to support work to end child marriage.
Girls Not Brides Member Workshop, Cape Town, South Africa
Photo: Girls Not Brides
"By hesitating, we are rationalising the abuse of children by not daring to challenge it."
Graça Machel, Founder of the Graça Machel Trust and The Foundation for Community Development
Photo: Girls Not Brides
"For many of us here, this is not work, it is our life. It flows in our blood."
Dr Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, Founder and Chief Executive of the Rozaria Memorial Trust.
Photo: Girls Not Brides
"In this room, we have the capacity to make girls' dreams come true."
Dr. Faith Mwangi-Powell, CEO of Girls Not Brides
Photo: Girls Not Brides
The event followed on from a successful roundtable discussion in Malawi, and a significant announcement from The Government of Malawi in their commitment to end child, early and forced marriages and unions in Malawi, including the harmonisation of legal statutes with SADC protocols.
Clooney Foundation for Justice co-founder Ms. Amal Clooney has assured #Malawi of support in the drive to end child marriages. I have ordered harmonisation of legal statutes with #SADC protocols as we implement National Strategy for Ending Child Marriage.#endchildmarriages pic.twitter.com/yifsTNiwjO
— Dr. Lazarus Chakwera (@LAZARUSCHAKWERA) November 20, 2023
Post on X (formerly Twitter) by Dr. Lazarus Chakwera, President of the Republic of Malawi
Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage, Girls First Fund and VOW for Girls will continue to collaborate with VOW for Girls, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Clooney Foundation for Justice, and Girls Opportunity Alliance in our efforts to end child marriage.
In the time it has taken to read this article 30 girls under the age of 18 have been married
Each year, 12 million girls are married before the age of 18
That is 23 girls every minute
Nearly 1 every 2 seconds