Kenya

Girls Not Brides Kenya is a national partnership of over 135 civil society organisations working at both national and grassroots levels to influence policy and budget decisions that help end child marriage. Established in 2017 as the End Child Marriage Network Kenya, it officially became Girls Not Brides Kenya in 2020.

The national partnership aims to amplify the voices of girls across Kenya to realise a society where all girls enjoy their rights and reach their full potential.

The partnership operates across 11 regions, coordinated by regional leads, and covers 25 out of Kenya’s 47 counties: Taita Taveta, Mombasa, Kwale, Lamu, Kilifi, Tana River, Kisumu, Siaya, Homabay, Migori, Bungoma, Busia, Kiambu, Kajiado, Nairobi, Makueni, Narok, Garissa, Samburu, Marsabit, Isiolo, Laikipia, Turkana, West Pokot, Meru and Nyeri.

Successes

• Participation in the UPR Process, following which the proposals were adopted.
• Stakeholder Engagement on Child Marriage and FGM/C.
• Existence of a coordination Structure from the national to the grassroots level.
• In collaboration with the global secretariat, successfully implemented the People's Post Code Lottery Phase 2 cross-border project on addressing Child Marriage and FGM/C in Migori County in Kenya and Tarime District in Tanzania.

Aspirations

• To collaborate with other actors in the development of a National Action Plan to end harmful practices in Kenya that is anchored in existing policy frameworks in the Country.
• To advocate for the broadening of the mandate of the Anti-FGM Board to include child marriage.
• To advocate for the resourcing of child marriage interventions in the Country.

Structure

Girls Not Brides Kenya is governed by a steering committee composed of two co-convenors, eleven regional heads, and four thematic leads — all elected during the Annual General Meeting (AGM).