Panel Discussion by dRPC Nigeria and Girls First Fund Uganda on the Multidimensional Approaches to Ending Child Marriage at the GPE/ Echidna Giving organized Education Zone- 18^th July 2023 in Kigali, Rwanda

2023 WOMEN DELIVER CONFERENCE: EDUCATION ZONE

dRPC SPEAKS ON THE MULTIDIMENTIONAL APPROACH TO ENDING CHILD MARRIAGE

A dissemination of dRPC’s Gender Review of Education Sector Plans in Nigeria (2012-2022):

Testing the GPE GRESP Model

In collaboration with Malala Fund

Panel title: What will it take?: A multidimensional approach to ending child marriage held at the Education Zone -2023 Women Deliver Conference in Kigali (18^th July 2023)

• The development Research and Projects Center (dRPC) - Nigeria and Girls First Fund (GFF)- Uganda held a panel on Ending Child Marriage at the GPE/ Echidna Giving organized Education Zone during the 2023 Women Deliver Conference in Kigali
• The panel centered the voices and showcase the work of organizations from the Global South who are using different approaches through education to influence reductions in child marriage rates especially from Nigeria and Uganda
• The dRPC shared the findings from a 12-year longitudinal competitive study which examines how gender responsive structures and programs of six state governments in Nigeria can predict and explain rates of reduction in child marriage. The study explores the intersectionality between gender responsiveness in education sector planning and the transformation of the crisis of child marriage in Nigeria
• GFF and their grantee partner Girls To Lead Africa from Uganda shared experiences on leading positive transformation in communities using SRHR education to influence reductions in child marriage rates Uganda
• The speakers will also explore the significance of directing resources to community-based organizations who are at the forefront of the work to end child marriage in communities

Overview

dRPC- Nigeria Education Team and the GFF – Girls To Lead Africa – Uganda Team

Panel title: What will it take?: A multidimensional approach to ending child marriage held at the Education Zone -2023 Women Deliver Conference in Kigali (18^th July 2023)

• The panel shared insights on the key drivers of child marriage in Africa being poverty, traditional and religious believes and biased gender norms
• The dRPC’s approach to Ending Child Marriage is policy driven by keeping girls in school until secondary education is complete (12 years education). Its gender review of education sector plans using the GPE Gender Responsive Model in 6 north west states in Nigeria over 11years shows that there is a linear relationship between the key variables; increase in enrollment rate, improved education outcomes and reduction in the rate of child marriage.
• As contribution to knowledge and global best practices, the dRPC recommends that global though leaders adopt and replicate the mixed method research approach which gives a strong predicting power and provides a framework for testing and explain girls’ education outcomes in terms of process factors inherent to education sector
• Girls to Lead Africa (GLA)working at the grassroot level approaches ending child marriage through SRHR education and empowering the “Boda boda” men who are most likely to take child brides and community leaders as advocates to end child marriage in Uganda
• Young girls are also trained by GLA as champions to engage younger girls in peer-peer counselling on prevention and management of cases of child marriage within their communities. These young girls are also empowered with skills to support them earn incomes to mitigate the effect of poverty and reduce the possibility of child marriage.
• GLA also explores the approach of second chance education for girls who have been victims of child marriage to continue their education

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Highlights of the discussion

Reactions from the Audience

Questions:

How can the outcomes of the GRESP research convince duty bearers in government to mainstream gender in Education Sector Plans?

-Young advocate for girls’ education Uganda

Questions:

How can we avoid stigma for the second chance education girls when reintegrated into the inclusive schools?

- An implementing partner in Tanzania

Response:

The key strategy is to use the evidence generated by the research to advocate to government for gender mainstreaming in development or review of policies and education sector plans. CSOs may work together as a coalition to advocate for the change for a stronger impact

Response:

There is a need sensitized about the situation of the second change students and implore them to support their re-integration into the school system. The schools will also require the support of an active guidance and counselling unit for the students.

Ms. Zubaida O. Abdulsalami (dRPC Education Lead) responding to questions during the panel session moderated by Dr. Judith Giwa-Amu and co- panelist Ms. Honest Fortunate Kansimme of GFF- GLA

Reactions from the Audience

Questions:

In places such as in Niger- Maradi which is a border town with northern Nigeria and has increasing cases of child marriage; can similar strategies be adopeted ?

-GFF Education Officer for Niger

Questions:

When girls internalize the concept of child marriage and push for marriage at an early age, how can this be addressed?

- Participant from Namibia

Response:

Countries with GPE funding for strengthening girls’ education outcomes through Gender responsive Education Sector Plan can adopt this strategy. Also, in the case of Maradi where the dRPC work with the Coalition to End Child Marriage, there are ongoing advocacy for policies to ensure safe and secure schools for girls to subsequently address child marriage by the dRPC’s recommended approach

Response:

This can be approached through community sensitization and working through religious and traditional rulers. This idea of child marriage will most likely be pushed by religious or traditional beliefs and only through the respected leaders can the community be sensitized, and the mind set of girls changed. The girls will also require counselling and should be engaged through schooling or skills acquisition

Panel Information display at the Global Partnership for Education (GPE)/ Echidna Giving organized Education Zone at the Women Deliver Conference 2023 in Kigali- 18^th July 2023

THANK YOU !!!