Mozambique
Girls Not Brides Mozambique is made up of 60 civil society organisations working from the local to the international level on advocacy, knowledge-sharing and research to address child marriage. Girls Not Brides Mozambique was set up in 2013 as the “Coligação para Eliminação dos Casamentos Prematuros” (CECAP), and became an official Girls Not Brides National Partnership in July 2014.
Annual Planning Meeting in Maputo, Mozambique in 2016.
Successes
Girls Not Brides Mozambique is recognised as the main civil society partner working to end child marriage in Mozambique. The partnership supports the government to implement child marriage policies. They worked with the Ministry of Gender and Children Social Affairs to launch a national campaign on ending child marriage in July 2014. The National Partnership has also greatly contributed to the successful adoption of the National Strategy to Prevent and Combat Child Marriage in 2016, as well as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Model Law for the Eradication of Child Marriage and Protection of Children Already Married. The National Partnership is also actively contributing to the development of a national legislation putting into practice the SADC Model Law.
“Our unity is our greatest strength. With a spirit of team work, partnership, and solidarity – even with limited funds – we are able to carry out activities and have an impact. We have been able to raise our voices and create more change across borders.”
Member of Girls Not Brides Mozambique.
The National Partnership has developed a joint advocacy and communications strategy which has helped member organisations to improve their grassroots efforts to respond to the main drivers of child marriage. The strategy has strengthened collaboration with key government ministries, religious leaders, initiation counsellors, young people and the media. The National Partnership worked jointly with UNICEF and UNFPA to develop a policy brief on child marriage and adolescent pregnancy in Mozambique.
Structure
Girls Not Brides Mozambique is coordinated by AMODEFA and Forum Nacional das Radios Comunitarias (FORCOM). As part of their 2016-2019 strategic plan, the partnership strengthened their internal coordination and capacity by forming four thematic working groups focusing on advocacy, communications, statistical analysis, and landscape analysis.