Girl summit commitments

[chris macrae]

The following commitments have been made at Girl Summit 2014 to end child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation, for girls and women, everywhere, forever. They support the priorities set out in the Girl Summit Charter (click here for English,French or Arabic)

28 Too Many
Following the Girl Summit 28 Too Many will work with a partner to develop a youth focused project which uses our research findings to develop tools and resources for community based action to tackle FGM.

ActionAid
Raise the profile of our FGM programmes in 5 countries (Liberia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somaliland and The Gambia)

Put increasing emphasis through using ActionAid’s new Theory of Change and research (e.g. in Liberia, Ethiopia) on understanding what works to reduce prevalence of FGM

Solidarity – increase contact with relevant groups (feminist, religious, youth, child rights) in five countries and globally

Advocacy – Join together with organisations and programmes to build momentum and advocate for ending FGM and CEFM

Aja Jabbi GAMCOTRAP
To create awareness on the effects Of Female Genital Mutilation and early marriage

Animage Films
We will provide free copies and downloads of three short films that we have made highlighting the trauma caused by Forced Marriage and FGM in the UK to any individual or organisation working to eradicate these practices.

Audacious Dreams Foundation, India
We will teach about Adolescent health issues and civic citizenship for Rural girls

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Understanding the Economic Impacts of Child Marriage –International Center for Research on Women and the World Bank ($4 million over 3 years) – Supported by BMGF, in partnership with CIFF, ICRW and the WB will conduct a ground-breaking research grant to evaluate the economic costs of child marriage. It will generate robust global, regional and country analysis of the economic consequences of child marriage, and help to reposition the issue within global development.

Tostan ($2.7 million over 4 years) – BMGF has awarded this grant to strengthen Tostan’s systems for monitoring, learning and adaptation of their Community Empowerment Program in 6 West African countries. This will help them to better understand factors that contribute to success in their work on governance, education, health, environment and economic empowerment.

Request for Proposals (RFP) for Adolescent Reproductive Health and Nutrition in Ethiopia ($6 million over 5 years) focused on reducing gender inequities.These grants will seek to improve adolescent reproductive health and nutrition in Ethiopia by addressing structural determinants, including early marriage, amongst the most vulnerable girls. The foundation seeks to expand the body of work and knowledge in the adolescent health field by investing in innovative programs that show proof of scale and proof of impact, and are supported by national policies to change social norms that adversely affect adolescents’ ability to transition to a healthy and productive life.

BRAC
(1) Awareness campaign at family/ household level.

(2) Community mobilisation involving youth and mass people using neighbourhood platforms.

(3) Human rights and legal aid services to the victims of child marriage and survivors of violence.

(4) Survivors support, psychosocial counselling and life skill development.

(5) Research and learning.

breakthrough
Breakthrough is working towards changing the social norms and traditions that perpetuate early marriage across two states in India - Bihar and Jharkhand. We are working towards this cultural shift by riasing the awareness of communities where this practice is prevalent through community mobilisation and engagement using cultual tools like the 'Theatre of the Oppressed.' Anew generation of youth leaders are also simultaneously being trained to lead the change. Breathrough is also training service providers and actively networking with them to ensure a 360 degree approach towards tackling this social evil.

BSR (Business for Social Responsibility)
BSR will organize a webinar for our corporate members to discuss the role the private sector can play to support girls’ health and empowerment, including addressing and bringing awareness to sensitive issues such as female genital mutilation and child marriage.

Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE),Bangladesh

CAMPE is a coalition of more than 1000 NGOs working across Bangladesh ensuring access to quality basic education for all. This includes the basic element of gender justice and equity.

- CAMPE activities to be carried out:

- Organize/ Integrate with CAMPE programs

- Carry out media advocacy

- Promote messages on CEFM in monthly bulletin, newsletter published by CAMPE and CAMPE website

- School Campaign

Canada
1. CEFM in the Post-2015 Development Agenda – Canada will continue to drive forward international engagement on CEFM. This year, the top priority is to build consensus for a target on CEFM in the post-2015 development agenda. We will work with partners around the world to this end.

2. Partnership with UNICEF– Canada is contributing $20 million over two years to UNICEF toward ending child, early and forced marriage. The project aims to accelerate the movement to end child marriage in Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Yemen and Zambia by supporting efforts in these countries to strengthen programming and political support to end the practice. We are pleased to be working in close coordination with the UK and the Netherlands, who are also partnering with UNICEF.

3. African Union Campaign to End Child Marriage – Canada knows that the leadership of high-prevalence countries is essential in efforts to end CEFM. We are pleased to provide support to the African Union Campaign to End Child Marriage.

4. Royal Commonwealth Society – Canada will provide institutional support to the Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS). RCS engages with youth, civil society, business and governmental networks to address issues that matter to the citizens of the Commonwealth, and its primary focus is the promotion of young people throughout the Commonwealth. Canada will support the efforts of the Royal Commonwealth Society to raise awareness in Commonwealth countries about the need to end CEFM.

5. Canadian Focus - Canada is committed to strengthening our domestic and consular approach to ensure that CEFM does not occur on Canadian soil or affect Canadians abroad. The Criminal Code protects against a broad range of criminal offences that may be committed both prior to and following a forced marriage. We will continue to build our capacity to help Canadians facing forced marriages abroad as well as victims upon their return to Canada. In 1997, the Criminal Code was amended to clarify that aggravated assault includes female genital mutilation.

CARE International
CARE is committed to women’s and girls’ empowerment globally and recognizes that international development and human rights goals will never be achieved as long as girls and boys are condemned to a life of poverty and inequality through child marriage practices.

To this end, CARE commits to the Tipping Point initiative, a project lasting through 2017, which addresses child marriage in Nepal and Bangladesh and leverages advocacy and influencing opportunities in the U.S. and globally. The project is generously supported by The Kendeda Fund.

Through Tipping Point, we will work with girls, boys, men, women, and community leaders to critically explore the factors that sustain child marriage practices and innovate ways to alter the forces perpetuating child marriage; bring different actors together—including men and boys—to build social movements for change; support sustainable, social and economic alternatives for girls that allow them to have more options in their own lives; and connect activists across regional and national networks.

This includes CARE’s commitment to:

Invest US $6.6 million over the next three years addressing the root causes of child marriage and influencing advocacy opportunities in the US and globally;

Work to reverse the tide against child marriage in 16 sub districts of Nepal and 90 villages of Bangladesh;

Actively pursue collaborative learning with program participants, partners, governments, and researchers and contribute to broadening the dialogue on the root causes and multiple dimensions of child marriage practices, and on strategies to end those practices;

Utilize learning and analysis of root causes of child marriage to influence public dialogues in Nepal and Bangladesh; including strengthening social movements and partners’ capacity to conduct advocacy at national and sub-national level and influence policy dialogue around the issue;

Mobilize and engage with strategic partners, coalitions and decision-makers in Nepal and Bangladesh to influence key national and global dialogues and policy processes;

Build on CARE’s long history of advocacy on child marriage within US foreign policy as co-chair of the Girls Not Brides-USA coalition. CARE will continue to work with partners through GNB USA to execute on multi-year advocacy strategies aimed at influencing the U.S. governments to actualize policy commitments to end child marriage as well link to global advocacy opportunities, including the post 2015 dialogue as appropriate;

Implement innovative monitoring of U.S. government implementation of the US Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based-Violence Globally and child marriage policy commitments, in collaboration with the Aspen Institute.

Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF)
If we are to end child marriage within a generation, we need quality evidence to better understand its costs to girls, families, communities and societies. CIFF is partnering with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the International Centre for Research on Women, and the World Bank to conduct new and important research on the economic case for ending child marriage.

Christian Aid

Christian Aid will demonstrate that we are making a significant contribution towards a reduction in gender based violence and specifically to changes to the social norms which promote or condone it. In particular, we will scale up our work with faith groups working with both women and men to challenge and change social norms around gender based violence including harmful traditional practices such as early and forced marriage, female genital cutting, dowry and bride price.

Clemence Tauya Nhliziyo
Supporting the initiative on social media

Dawson Cornwell
We will continue to support victims of FGM, Forced Marriage and Honour Based Violence in offering legal aid or pro bono assistance where legal aid is not available.

We will continue to provide legal training and advice to NGOs who operate in this field including Southall Black Sisters, The Sharan Project, Karma Nirvana, IKWRO, The Henna Foundation, Forward, The FMU and others.
We will continue to support the introduction of legislation to give greater protection, by way of civil injunctions, to victims or potential victims of FGM and support the creation of a civil statute.

Disabled International Foundation Sierra Leone (DIF-SIL)

I am doing a global campaign to end FGM and CEFM and awareness raising

I will totally commit myself into doing awareness raising , campaigning everywhere in schools , in the community and conferences including religious leaders, health workers, young people , un agencies, professionals , teachers , other organisations . And social media

ECPAT International
By end-2015, ECPAT will lead efforts for an agreed upon definition, among major INGOs, UN agencies, Civil Society Networks, for situations of child marriage that constitute the commercial sexual exploitation of girls.

By mid-2015, ECPAT will complete a high quality research paper on how CEFM, in some cases, leads to the sexual exploitation of girl victims of such marriages through prostitution, pornography and/or trafficking.

By mid-2015, all member organisations of the ECPAT Network in 75 countries are informed, facilitated and encouraged to raise awareness of CEFM through local and national efforts.

By early-2015, all member organisations of the ECPAT Network working directly with victims of CEFM will be encouraged to consult with victims in order to bring their voices into the formulation of legislation and action.

Over course of the next year, ECPAT will raise awareness of CEFM through social media messaging on our official channels, including Facebook and Twitter.

End FGM/C Social Change Campaign
The End FGM/C Social Change Campaign will galvanise an Africa-led, global movement to end FGM/C in one generation. We will use a range of social change communications approaches at community, national, regional and international levels to bring about a social transformation in attitudes, promoting the value of girlhood without FGM/C. We support national social change campaigns in ten focal countries (Burkina Faso, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, and Sudan).

Equality Now

(1) Hold governments accountable to their international and regional commitments to end CEFM and FGM

(2) Call for the repeal of sex discriminatory laws that contribute to CEFM and FGM

(3) Advocate for implementation of the human rights framework by all governments to end CEFM and FGM

Ethiopia
Ethiopia commits to achieving the total elimination of FGM/C and Child, Early and Forced Marriage by 2025 through a strategic, multi-sectorial approach. Our goal is also in line with Ethiopia’s objective to reach middle income country status, with the country’s overall development being closely linked to greater opportunities for women and girls. Our approach puts girls at the heart of our commitment, working closely with them, their families and communities, to end these practices for good and break the cycle of harmful traditional practices. We will achieve our aim through a four pronged approach:

Through incorporating relevant indicators in the National Plan and the National Data Collection Mechanisms including the 2015 Demographic and Health Survey to measure the situation of FGM/C and CEFM and to establish a clear bench mark

Through enhancing the coordination and effectiveness of the Alliance to End Child Marriage and the National Network to End FGM by engaging different actors with key expertise

Through strong, accountable mechanisms for effective law enforcement

And, an increase in financial resources to eliminate FGM/C and CEFM from the existing budget by 10%

European Commission
The European Commission will support actions to:

Achieve gender equality and wellbeing of children,

Organise awareness-raising campaigns on violence against women, including FGM (in the European Union);

Develop e-learning modules for professionals working with those affected by or at risk of FGM (in the European Union).

European External Action Service
The European External Action Service will:

Launch a diplomatic outreach on FGM and child, early and forced marriage

Raise FGM and child, early and forced marriage in the political and human rights dialogues with relevant partner countries

Include FGM and child, early and forced marriage in European Union annual dialogues with civil society organisations in relevant partner countries;

Integrate FGM and child, early and forced marriage in gender and child rights training for European Union staff working in EU delegations in countries affected;

Continue to work closely with the African Union and African group at the UN on further initiatives to strengthen the global fight against FGM;

Continue to support advocacy for improved national legislation on FGM where needed;

Continue to support capacity-building initiatives for public and civil society organisations;

FaithAction
FaithAction will commit to spreading the news about the summit, and encourage and support faith based organisations working with those on the front line in the UK. We will also disseminate learning to the health and social care voluntary sector strategic partnership

FAMILY PLANNING ASSOCIATION OF INDIA (FPAI)
To empower girls about their rights through awareness, education and advocacy by taking it on as part of our routine projects. Promote Comprehensive Sexuality Programmes in school through a signed petition on www.change.org

We will commit to undertake the responsibility of educating girls at both rural and urban levels about their rights. Souls are not male or female. After sharing the knowledge, ideas and plans discussed and initiated by the youth and adults at the summit, I will share the same with our organisation (FPAI). FPAI plans to then conduct programmes with youth both at rural and urban level to educate them about the many issues and involve them to get their ideas to bring an end to the same. Girls- we are as beautiful, and as powerful as any other soul in the universe. The society will help us, but it is up to us -- women to organize our strengths, individually and collectively; it is up to us to reach out and empower ourselves.

Fatimat Aduke Obelawo, Osun State Community and Social Development Project
I, Fatimat Aduke Obelawo, promise to bring to the fore campaign against Early/ Child Marriages and FGM/C with more vigor to galvanize support against harmful practices as I go by the Information, Education and Communication components of the activities of the state Agency both at the community and state levels.

Fatou Bojang GAMCOTRAP
The Gambia to be free from FGM, Early Marriage through awareness campaigns

Advocate and raise the awareness of people, both Boys and Girls, Men and Women in all the Regions of The Gambia

Ghana
Scaling up awareness and prevention, strengthening national institutional and legislative framework and coordinating mechanisms on ending CEFM anf FGM

Girlguiding
Girlguiding will continue to empower girls and young women to be a powerful force for change.

We will continue to listen to and consult girls and young women within and outside Girlguiding about their views and experiences and support them to speak out on issues that matter most to them.

Youth participation will remain central to developing our programme for girls and young women.

Through our programme we will continue to raise awareness of girls' rights in the UK and internationally.

We will ensure the appropriate safeguarding resources are in place to support our members across the UK regarding FGM and forced marriage.

We will advocate for girls' rights to be at the heart of the post 2015 development framework.

Girls Not Brides
Expand and empower the movement: The Girls Not Brides partnership’s 358 civil society members hail from 63 countries around the globe to end child marriage and enable girls to fulfil their potential. We recognize that ending child marriage will require further expanding the breadth, diversity, coordination and capacity of the Girls Not Brides partnership and the wider movement to end child marriage. We commit to bringing on 100 new members a year, to educating and engaging new champions, and to building the influence and coordination of member organisations and our partners through a new series of capacity-building webinars and meetings. Deadline: End of 2015.

Help identify what works and how we measure it: As a global partnership, Girls Not Brides works to ensure that new and existing evidence – particularly on the solutions to child marriage and on insights emerging from non-traditional sources – is shared widely. Building on our work to develop a ‘Theory of Change on Child Marriage’, Girls Not Brides commits to launching a process to bring together experts and practitioners to identify indicators to measure progress and impact on child marriage. Deadline: July 2015

Hold governments accountable: Girls Not Brides will continue to advocate for major inter-governmental processes and fora, as well as governments in high-prevalence countries, to commit to taking action on child marriage. In particular, Girls Not Brides will advocate for a target on child, early and forced marriage to be included in the post-2015 development framework, and for child marriage to be addressed in global and regional intergovernmental bodies. Deadline: End of 2015.

Expand the funding base: Lasting change has to happen on the ground and realising this on a meaningful scale requires adequate resourcing to support programmatic work. Girls Not Brides will therefore continue to advocate for an increase in long-term funding to address child marriage, from both existing and new donors, including funding from governments of high-prevalence countries. Deadline: Ongoing.

Raise the profile of promising national efforts: Girls Not Brides will bring attention to actions from around the world that have the potential to advance national efforts to end child marriage. In particular, Girls Not Brides will continue to advocate for the coordination of efforts to end child marriage in high-prevalence countries, the development and implementation of nation-wide plans and the meaningful inclusion of civil society in nation-wide responses. Deadline: Ongoing.

Global Fund for Women

To end FGM and Early and Forced Marriage we need to put money into the hands of courageous women and women's groups on the ground. The Global Fund for Women pledges to establish a dedicated Fund for grassroots activism by women and girls to make that happen.

Building on our 25 year track-record of funding creative, bold and talented women, our new fund will empower local groups around the world to scale up strategies that work and extend the impact of their ideas. Join us! Empower women and girls in Africa to create lasting change in their communities.
We will use grants, organizational capacity building, and strategic convenings for learning and coalition building to address violence against women and girls.

Hawa Trust

Supporting survivors and those at risk of FGM through training, counselling and referrals.
Engaging Imams and Pastors and other religious leaders to show that FGM is not encouraged by religion.
Advocating for the rights of FGM victims.
Campaigning for the provision of FGM services by Hackney Council.
Petition to the African Union (AU) for an FGM Charter and condemnation of FGM by all African leaders. Production of video documentary on FGM.
Hibo Yussuf Hussein, Global Give Back Circle Beneficiary
Sensitization of women and girls through structured visits in schools and homes, and discussions surrounding the effects of FGM and women’s health related issues. Empowerment of women and girls through education on their rights in the society.

Enlightening women and girls on the advantages of education as a means to avoid early child and forced marriage.

HM Government
Domestic Action

FGM

Punishment and enforcement
New legislation to extend the reach of the extra-territorial offences in the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003.
New offence of parental liability for failing to prevent FGM being carried out Improved CPS and police response to FGM, including new training New legislation to grant victims of FGM lifelong anonymity from the time an allegation is made Protection and support Mandatory reporting for health, educational and social work professionals in known FGM cases – Announcement of consultation on the details of implementation Consultation on FGM Civil Protection Orders New NHS “Safeguarding against FGM” framework Improved training for NHS staff Strengthening local safeguarding arrangements and the statutory Social Work response to FGM (including pilots) New function on gov.uk to enable searches for FGM services in England and Wales Improved multi-agency practice guidelines and announcement of consultation on how best to put these on a statutory footing Launch FGM prevalence study to give us meaningful information for the first time Extension of NHS data work Preventing FGM happening to women and girls New specialist FGM unit to drive nationwide outreach on FGM New funding for community engagement initiatives to end FGM (additional £90k to add to the current £100k) Launch of faith leader’s declaration against FGM Communications campaign to raise awareness of FGM amongst professionals and practising communities, signposting the NSPCC helpline.
Launch HMIC review into police relationships with minority communities, with a focus on FGM Launch of the department of health/NHS FGM Prevention programme

Early Forced Marriage

Punishment and enforcement
Improved CPS response to forced marriage Protection and support £60k additional funding for the FM helpline run by Karma Nirvana this financial year Prevention Launch of community and faith leader’s declaration against FM FM awareness week

FGM and EFM

Launch of a network of community champions to tackle FGM and EFM FGM and EFM guidance for schools HO commitment to continue funding for wider VAWG funding at the same level as for the previous four financial years

International Action

Commitment of up to £25 million for a new UN multi-country programme in 12 countries to end CEFM Investment of £31 million over 8 years, focused on generating new evidence on what works to transform lives of poor adolescent girls, including addressing harmful social norms and CEFM New mechanisms to be developed for civil society funding for addressing FGM and CEFM On-going high level commitment to supporting the Africa-led movement to end FGM, particularly through the £35m programme announced in 2013.
International Rescue Committee (IRC)
The IRC will endorse the Girl Declaration

The IRC will sign the Summit’s Charter

The IRC will share its learning and research results from its adolescent girl protection and empowerment programmes and research, especially in fragile settings

Girl Declaration will be signed by 2014

IRC pilot programme on Girl Empower in Ethiopia and Liberia will be concluded by 2017, learning will be shared upon conclusion.

IRC COMPASS programme in Ethiopia, DRC and Pakistan will conclude in May 2017. Research results are expected to be shared by early 2017. IRC will share the results of its Girls Empowered through Microfinance (GEM) impact evaluation in early 2015 and its Sisters of Success (SoS) impact evaluation in 2017.

IRC will reach over 16,000 girls with its combined programmes over a period of four years.

Iranian & Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation (IKWRO)
Through our Girls Group we, the Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Right Organisation (IKWRO) commit to developing young female leaders from Middle Eastern and North African communities as forces for change.

Irish Aid, the Irish Government’s official aid programme administered by the Department of Foreign A
We recognize both FGM and CEFM as clear violations of the human rights of women and girls, and we are strong advocates in international fora, including the Human Rights Council, for the elimination of these practices and the promotion of gender equality. Gender Equality is promoted, protected and integrated across Ireland’s development cooperation programme and our commitment to gender equality was most recently reaffirmed in “One World, One Future”, the Government’s new Policy for International Development. Ireland has made clear calls for the high visibility of gender in the Post 2015 Development Framework and supported a number of targets to advance gender equality and ensuring the elimination of all harmful practices, including child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation.

Through our development cooperation, we are working with governments, civil society actors, international organisations and the private sector to strengthen the legislative and policy framework to protect women and children, to raise awareness in communities of the risks of FGM and the benefits of delayed marriage, and to enhance the economic opportunities of girls and their families. We are strongly committed to promoting the empowerment of women and ending FGM and CEFM and we will continue to deepen our engagement with a range of partners to deliver on this commitment.

In the knowledge that gender inequality is a root cause of FGM and CEFM, and a key aspect of the unfinished business of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), we will champion for gender equality, and the end to harmful practices including FGM and CEFM in the Post 2015 agenda.

We will work with our partners at national, regional and global levels to accelerate action against FGM and CEFM, and will support key UN agencies, including UNICEF and UNFPA and their joint programme on FGM.

As a member of the Irish Consortium on Gender Based Violence, we will work in coordination with Irish humanitarian, development and human rights agencies, and the Irish Defence Forces to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, including FGM, and engage in the development of the second national plan on FGM.

With poverty and insecurity as key drivers of early, child and forced marriage, we will work with and through our government and nongovernmental partners to promote the economic empowerment of women and girls and support the implementation of appropriate and sustainable social protection programmes, focussing on the very poorest households.

Mindful that pregnancy in adolescence, common in child marriage, and FGM are closely linked to complications during childbirth, we will support efforts that reduce maternal and infant mortality, and promote universal access to reproductive healthcare, including ante-natal care and family planning services, consistent with the Cairo Programme of Action.

We will support girls’ education beyond primary school, cognisant that girls educated to the secondary level have been found to be less likely to marry early or to allow their daughters to be subjected to FGM.

Within our research strategy, we will invest in research that contributes to the body of evidence on empowering women and girls, decreasing gender inequalities and reducing gender based violence, and will support research to better understand and respond to the social, economic and development challenges and opportunities faced by children and young people.

JAN Trust

We will be committed to working with front-line practitioners, young people, the community and perpetrators in order to raise awareness, educate and prevent forced marriages. We will also continue to provide holistic support to victims.

Ending CEFM and FGM must be a global priority.

Japan
Japan intends to implement ODA in excess of USD 3 billion over 3 years from 2013 to 2015 to realize “a society where all women shine.” Japan’s policy priorities are: women’s empowerment, women’s health care, and women, peace and security.

In order to tackle the issues of FGM and CEFM, Japan will continue cooperating with UNICEF, UNFPA, IPPF along others, and the international community as a whole. As education empowers women and girls to take more control of their own lives, Japan will continue to provide cooperation in the field of education too.

Kani Touray, GAMCOTRAP
As an intern of GAMCOTRAP and member of GAMCOTRAP youth advocacy group (GAMYAG), I plan to raise awareness amongst my fellow young people in order to share my experience and knowledge on Female Genital mutilation, Child, early and force marriage as well as other issues that are hindering the development of girls. I am also in youth groups where some people have no idea about these harmful issues and they need to be enlightened about the fact that girls are vulnerable too.

KARMA NIRVANA
Engaging with 50 schools across the UK to raise awareness and understanding about early marriage amongst educators and safeguarding teams, implementing governments forced marriage guidance.

We will develop a comprehensive PHSE plan about early marriage that will be delivered young people across the schools.

We will seek the engagement of young people and identify FM champions within the schools from both young people and teachers.

Our message is that early marriage is a child protection issue and every school has a part to play if we are to prevent these abuses our vision is for national school engagement.

Lord Jack McConnell, First Minister of Scotland 2001-2007
I pledge to continue to campaign for decent funding from Scottish authorities for those trying to stop FGM; and to establish a Scottish event, before the end of 2014, bringing together campaign groups and people in authority to step up efforts to end forced marriage in Scotland.

Madame Chantal COMPAORÉ, Première Dame du Burkina Faso, Ambassadeur de Bonne Volonté du CIAF
Plaidoyer auprès de la commission de l’Union Africaine afin d’inscrire les MGF et les mariages d’enfants comme une priorité de l’agenda après 2015

MAMTA- Health Institute for Mother and Child

Based on its earlier work and experiences on the issue of child and forced marriage, MAMTA-HIMC strongly supports the approaches that enhances self-efficacy of adolescent girls and boys; which are ‘gender transformative’ in nature and works simultaneously with both girls and boys; works towards making social/community norms gender equitable; and those that are founded in the safe space concept (again for both girls and boys) to provide an opportunity for meaningful engagement to girls and boys in marginalized communities. MAMTA-HIMC as always will continue to work with most marginalized population.

Organization in future aims to take on interventions based on these approaches while building robust evidences for each to support its scale up. Besides, organization will work towards strengthening system’s response to the issue by prioritizing the issue in the national, state and district agendas/plan of action.

MAMTA-Health Institute for Mother and Child, New Delhi, India, commits to the cause of ending Female Genital Mutilation and Child and Forced Marriages with focused work in South Asia. We believe in and support approaches that promote gender equitable norms and are gender transformative in nature. Gender, Sexuality and Rights are the crosscutting issues in our interventions with young men and women.

MAMTA-HIMC will continue working with local, national and international bodies especially at South Asia level to strengthen policies and actions on protecting and promoting the interest of the girl child. System’s strengthening and bringing multi-sectoral efforts to the cause along with community led actions will be the priority.

MAMTA-HIMC will intensively work to keep the issue high on national, state and district agenda while networking with other NGOs, CSOs, institutions and corporates and building their capacities to undertake actions to end such practices.

Mariam Lamizana, Présidente du CIAF
Le renforcement ou la création d’un pont entre le CIAF et les autres organisations nationales et internationales.

Mary Small, Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children
To use various culturally appropriate communication strategies to create awareness on the health effects of FGM and CEFM. These channels will include beneficiaries initiating songs, integrating subject matter into training sessions, dialogue with community members, as well as lobby policy makers to take a positive stance on the issues. While the focus is on girls who will lead the change process, other target groups should be trained to also advocate on their behalf.

MIFUMI
Campaign to reform the custom of bride price to remove the unacceptable elements that lead to violence and abuse including the risk of child marriages.

We will lobby for changes in legislation, policy and practice to remove the demand for payment and refund of bride price as a condition precedent to a valid marriage or its dissolution.

Ministry of Women and Social Action, Mozambique
To launch a campaign to end early and forced marriage by 28 July 2014

Moving the Goalposts Kilifi
We are going to train 4000 girls on sexual reproductive health and rights issues and we will train 500 girls as leaders in their community.

Mozambique

Em representação do Governo de Moçambique, nos engajamos a continuar a luta contra o casamento prematuro e forçado no país. Com base no trabalho que tem sido realizado iremos desenvolver uma estratégia multi-sectorial de prevenção e eliminação dos casamentos prematuros, cuja implementação efectiva requererá recursos financeiros e humanos, bem como colaboração com a sociedade cilvil, grupos religiosos, meios de comunicação social, parceiros internacionais, entre outros. No dia 28 de Julho lançaremos, ao mais alto nível, uma campanha nacional de sensibilização para despertar a consciência geral sobre a problemática do casamento prematuro em Moçambique.

Musa Jallow, Finance Officer, GAMCOTRAP
As a Youth Leader in my community I will challenge FGM, Early & Forced marriage and other Harmful Practices through dialogue with community members

National Interreligious Network Nepal (NIRN-Nepal)

“Children are the ornaments of the home. A home without children is like a home without light”

Equality of Girls and Boys to be adorned with full of divine virtues. “Virtue is the muscle tone that develops from hourly training of spiritual warrior”

Human happiness is founded on spiritual behaviour.

Priorities in education must be given to the girls in case there are more boys and the family cannot afford equally to all. Because girls will be the first educator.
Actions:

1. Run several children moral classes for children and junior youths.

2. Prepare volunteer teachers for the conducting of these classes.

3. Meet parents periodically, to updates children activities.

4. Involve religious leaders to address the children moral classes.

5. Involve children and junior youth to reduce the social harmful practices

National Population Council, Egypt
Egypt is committed to make all efforts to preserve the dignity of the girl child, and the value of the girl of being “whole” and in control of her own body and life. We are committed to promoting girls' education and encouraging all those who are rejecting FGM/C and Child Marriage in Egypt to say it out loud and influence others.

Egypt is committed to implement a two five years' strategies targeting abandonment of FGM/C and prevention of CEFM.

Egypt is committed in getting the laws that criminalize FGM/C and protect from CEFM implemented through the mobilization of law enforcement stakeholders at all levels and creating general awareness.

Egypt is committed to protect the girl child from FGM/C and CEFM through encouraging positive social change within a comprehensive family rights and service package.

Egypt is committed to have a good basis of data, research and information on the current status of FGM/C and Child Marriage that it can base its strategies and interventions on coupled with a good Monitoring and Evaluation system to track progress.

National pour la lutte Contre l’Excision
- Elaboration d’un nouveau plan d’action pour l’abandon de l’excision 2015-2019;

- Mise place du comité de suivi de l’adoption de la loi contre la pratique de l’excision;

- Adoption d’une loi contre la pratique de l’excision à l’horizon 2018.

Nepal
The Government of Nepal pledges:

To condemn and enforce child marriage not just as a social evil, but as a punishable crime with consequences for those adults responsible for perpetuating the practice;

To work hand in hand with adolescent girls and boys in innovative ways, taking advantage of new technologies and media, to inspire a younger generation to pledge their active support towards ending child marriage in Nepal;

To directly engage boys and men in actions to end child marriage through recognition that they are integral change-makers in the process to end child marriage, and that girls, boys, women and men are sitting at the same table as active participants in any discussion that aims to address child marriage;

To commit to working across sectors with Government, civil society, the private sector, academia, community-based organisations and interfaith networks at the national, sub-national and grassroots levels to share evidence-based best practices of what works and what does not work to end child marriage in Nepal; and

To celebrate successful interventions by leaders at all levels and to call upon not only Government actors, but also civil society, the private sector, academia, community-based organisations and interfaith networks to contribute the necessary resources and funding towards actions, and to demonstrate deep commitment to, ending child marriage

Niger
Le Niger a réduit considérablement le taux de prévalence des MGF grâce à des actions mises en œuvre depuis 1998 ; ce qui a permis une réduction de plus de 50% : 5% en 1998 à 2% en 2012[1].

Mais il n’en est pas de même en ce qui concerne le mariage des enfants, précoce ou forcé, parce que les normes sociales condamnent les naissances en dehors du mariage ; c’est une question d’honneur pour la famille car une fille enceinte traduit un comportement léger de sa part et porte atteinte à l’honneur de sa famille; ce qui explique que les filles sont données en mariage très tôt - 76% des jeunes filles sont mariées avant 18 ans[2] - et toutes les catégories de familles, qu’elles soient pauvres, riches, rurales ou urbaines, le pratiquent. Pour mettre fin à cette pratique, nous nous engageons à :

Développer et mettre en œuvre une stratégie visant à accélérer la promotion de la scolarisation et du maintien des filles à l’école -stratégie qui sera accompagnée par des actions visant à rendre effectif l’âge obligatoire de la scolarisation jusqu’à 16 ans, la poursuite et l’extension du programme d’allégement des tâches domestiques des femmes pour leur permettre de libérer les filles, et la mise en œuvre de la politique de protection sociale en faveur des populations les plus démunies ;

Mobiliser et créer une plateforme de travail avec les leaders coutumiers et religieux pour qu’ils soient des alliés dans la promotion de l’abandon des pratiques traditionnelles néfastes à la santé et au bien-être des filles et des femmes du Niger ;

Développer et mettre en œuvre des actions visant le renforcement des capacités des familles, des femmes, des adolescentes et adolescents pour susciter un changement de comportement et un changement des normes sociales nuisibles à l’épanouissement des femmes et des enfants, telles que les mariages des enfants et les MGF.

[1] EDSN 1998, EDSN/MICS 2012
[2] EDSN/MICS 2012 : 20-24 ans : 76.3% ; 20-49 ans : 76.9%

Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict
The Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict will work with national governments, including heads of states, the judiciary, security forces, law-makers, as well as with civil society, religious and community leaders, women's groups, youth activists, and survivors to bring an end to conflict-related forced marriage through our ongoing advocacy and capacity building efforts.

Olimatou Sissoho, GAMCOTRAP Youth Advocate
Appeal on behalf of all girl-children of The Gambia who are vulnerable to Female Genital Mutilation and Early Marriage.

We will call on our parents, communities and government to protect us from Female Genital Mutilation and early marriage.

Options Consultancy Services
Options will integrate responses to FGM into our current and future programmes on sexual and reproductive health, and maternal, neonatal and child health.

Over 300 students in the Gambia
Petition and a pledge signed during a conference organised by Nusrat High School.

WE DON'T WANT FGM

We promise to complete our education without any interruption.

We will say no to early and forced marriage.

We will report any sexual harrassment and exploitation to the appropriate authorities.

Will report all unjust acts against girls.

We will break the culture of silence.

We will stand firmly and fight for our rights.

We will support each other in terms of difficulties.

We will respect and obey our parrents, teachers and our school authorities.

We will obey and abide by the rules and regulations governing our schools.

We will stand as a team to fight and eradicate maltreatments against girls.

We will unite and work hand in glove to make sure we impact a positive change.

So help us God.

Oxfam
We will further integrate work on sexual and reproductive health rights within our My Rights My Voice programme, highlighting female genital mutilation (FGM) and child, early and forced marriage (CEFM), by increasing levels of rights awareness amongst youth and duty bearers and through our support to safe spaces for young people to discuss these issues with peers and allies.

We will build on our existing work at country level in this area. In Yemen, Oxfam is working with local women's organisations who continue to push for protection against CEFM in the constitution and in personal status law. In Yemen we will also continue to work with local women’s organisations to raise public awareness of the negative social and developmental impacts of CEFM. In the Philippines, through our support to national organisations, Oxfam will continue to work with local communities to address CEFM.

We will share best practice on addressing CEFM and FGM in the new Oxfam knowledge hub on Violence Against Women.

Addressing the broader gender injustice and inequality, which drives CEFM and FGM, is a key part of Oxfam's work. For example, in Myanmar, Oxfam will continue to work with women's networks to influence the drafting of the Ending Violence Against Women law, and will work to raise awareness on - and challenge - the structural inequalities facing women and girls. Oxfam has included the advancement of women's rights as foundational within its new Strategic Plan, and committed to the first confederation-wide Roadmap on how to do this, including within our broader programmes and influencing work. This will be implemented over the next 6 years, with timebound commitments agreed for 2014-2016.

We will continue to call for a strong stand-alone gender equality goal in the post-2015 framework and ensure this addresses violence against women and girls, including CEFM marriage and FGM, as a priority in Oxfam's advocacy work.

Paul Ndebele, Director of the Medical Research Council of Zimbabwe
I will talk about girl child issues in discussions with colleagues. I will also publish an article on research on girl child issues.

Plan International

We are committed to prioritising our programming and advocacy on both Child Marriage and FGM/C:

Between now and 2020 we are seeking funding for 27.3 million Euro for Child, Early and Forced Marriage programming for girls most vulnerable across Asia and Africa.

Between now and 2020 we are seeking to substantively increase our funding for FGM programming

We will continue our advocacy and campaigning on child marriage, FGM/C and girls' education, including through our Because I am a Girl campaign

Plan Netherlands

23,882 girls at risk on CEFM in Zambia and Mozambique are empowered to determine their own future

Increase the # of CEFM/FGM free villages in Mali from 45 to 60 in the year 2015

Make use of International Day of the Girl to lobby on national level in 10 Plan Programme Countries for eradication of FGM and CEFM

Restless Development
A sample of our work with girls and young women in eight countries across Africa and Asia:

Tanzania: Mabinti Tushike Hatamu! (Girls Let’s be Leaders!)

Restless Development Tanzania is partnering up with UNICEF and the Tanzania Commission for AIDS on an award-winning programme which is reducing the vulnerability of adolescent girls aged 10-19 to HIV and AIDS, early pregnancy and gender-based violence.
Sierra Leone: Teenage Mothers Clubs

In Sierra Leone, 41% of girls have begun child-bearing between the age of 12 – 14. For many young girls, once they fall pregnant they are no longer allowed to attend school leaving them highly dependent and vulnerable. They also struggle to access health services and become economically dependent. To address this issue, we have established Teenage Mothers Clubs which consist of young mothers and pregnant adolescents aged 12-17 years old.

Zambia: Tackling early marriage and teenage pregnancy

In the Western Province in Zambia, we are responding to the high rates of early marriage and teenage pregnancy through community-based awareness creation and education. This programme is empowering 5,000 young people to make safe choices regarding their sexual and reproductive health and rights as well as economic and social well-being. This is resulting in reduced vulnerability to STIs, HIV, teenage pregnancy and early marriage for young women. We are improving community leaders attitudes to girls’ rights and encouraging them to take action to build a protective environment where adolescent girls are valued.

South Africa: Youth Workshops on Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights

Sexual violence is rife in South Africa which is often quoted as the rape capital of the world. In July 2013, UNFPA requested the support of Restless Development to conduct Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights workshop in the three districts of OR Tambo, Alfred Nzo and Amathole in the Eastern Cape.

The purpose of the workshops was to support the Department of Health to reach the most marginalised young people and provide them with education on the core areas of unplanned pregnancies, prevention and protection against HIV, STIs and gender-based violence as well as access to sexual and reproductive health services.

Save the Children
With a focus on child and adolescent centred programming, scale up programmes and learning on VAWG including FGM and CEFM with a focus on holistic responses, sexual and reproductive health services, and the clinical management of rape across the Save the Children movement.

Mobilize the wider Save the Children movement’s resources to make the elimination of VAWG a key pillar of the organisation’s work.

Recruit key development and humanitarian staff to strengthen our response to VAWG including FGM and CEFM with special emphasis on developing and piloting age-appropriate interventions for girls and boys

Work to build stronger child protection systems in high prevalence countries which can respond to all forms of violence and abuse.

Conduct vigorous advocacy to ensure commitment to the elimination of FGM and CEFM are firmly embedded in the Post-2015 framework under a gender equality goal as well as ensuring that a target of eliminating all violence against children is integrated across the framework.

Save the Children
Mobilize the wider Save the Children movement’s resources to make the elimination of VAWG a key pillar of the organisation’s work

Recruit key development and humanitarian staff to strengthen our response to VAWG with special emphasis on developing and piloting age-appropriate interventions for girls and boys

Work to build stronger child protection systems in high prevalence countries which can respond to all forms of violence and abuse.

Conduct vigorous advocacy to ensure commitment to the elimination of FGM and CEF are firmly embedded in the Post-2015 framework under a gender equality goal as well as ensuring that a target of eliminating all violence against children is integrated across the framework. is a priority element of the Post-2015 framework

With a focus on child and adolescent centred programming, scale up programmes and learning on VAWG with a focus on holistic responses, sexual and reproductive health services, and the clinical management of rape across the Save the Children movement.

Save the Children
· With a focus on child and adolescent centred programming, scale up programmes and learning on VAWG including FGM and CEFM with a focus on holistic responses, sexual and reproductive health services, and the clinical management of rape across the Save the Children movement.

· Mobilize the wider Save the Children movement’s resources to make the elimination of VAWG a key pillar of the organisation’s work.

· Recruit key development and humanitarian staff to strengthen our response to VAWG including FGM and CEFM with special emphasis on developing and piloting age-appropriate interventions for girls and boys

· Work to build stronger child protection systems in high prevalence countries which can respond to all forms of violence and abuse.

· Conduct vigorous advocacy to ensure commitment to the elimination of FGM and CEFM are firmly embedded in the Post-2015 framework under a gender equality goal as well as ensuring that a target of eliminating all violence against children is integrated across the framework. is a priority element of the Post-2015 framework.

Savera
Savera is already dedicated to tackling domestic abuse and one of its mean focus is tackling forced marriage and FGM within Merseyside and beyond.

Savera has already committed to support Lil Yemen ( A campaign aimed to tackling Child Marriage and FGM) and together will be holding a day workshop for the community in Liverpool

Research within the North West on Forced Marriage &Honour based violence in partnership with a number of universities across the North West

Developing training package for Young People on these issues

Working with Liverpool community Health (NHS) to deliver a conference highlighting the Harmful practice

Scottish Government
To set up a Short Life Working Group to ensure a multi-agency approach in Scotland to tackling FGM that is able to meet the needs of victims, professionals, support agencies and organisations (including staff who work for them), and communities, in the elimination of the practice of FGM.

We will review what we are currently doing in Scotland across different sectors in Scotland to tackle FGM and identify what more needs to be done in the elimination of the practice of FGM.

The Scottish Government is committed to eradicating Forced Marriage and from 30 September 2014 forcing a person into marriage will be a criminal offence punishable by up to 7 years in prison.

We will work with all our partners to develop guidance and information to advise those at risk of the additional protection available and to help those who work to protect victims of forced marriage sensitively and effectively.

Shingayirayi Moyo
More information and education campaigns to raise awareness to the girl child and parents together with guardians that the girl child has more potential in life than just getting married.

I will design a communication campaign in the community in which l live and work with the local media to spread the word to all corners of my country Zimbabwe

Sir William Cash MP
Campaign for my Gender Equality Act 2014 to improve the lives of women throughout world & to end FGM and CEFM

Stars Foundation, EMpower, Mama Cash and Plan International UK
Collaboration to launch a global girls awards initiative, investing at least $1 million in grassroots organisations working with and for girls, including girl-led organisations, aiming to:

Encourage, support and recognise effective practice amongst grassroots organisations working with and for girls to change and overcome discriminatory social norms such as early and forced marriage, female genital cutting, forced labour, human trafficking, etc.
Mobilise resources to support the work of effective grassroots organisations working to create a more just reality where girls’ rights and well-being are recognized, respected and realised.
Highlight the essential role that local organisations can and must play to support the rights, well-being, and empowerment of girls facing systematic injustices in their lives.
Bring together learning and understanding on the effectiveness of the role of local organisations to bring about lasting change with and for girls.
Keep attention on the commitments made by governments and other organisations at international conferences and events to address these important issues (while highlighting great practice and progress at a community level).
Sujag Sansar Organization (SSO)
10 awareness theatre plays on the child and forced marriages.

SSO will educate 1200 parents, religious leaders, and youth girls and boys in most remote areas with low and no literacy.
Theatre is affective and interesting tool to convey information on child and forced marriages.

Switzerland
Swiss Government commitments

Switzerland’s international commitments
At the multilateral level, Switzerland substantially contributes to end early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation as serious forms of human rights violations through core contributions to international organizations:
· UNFPA: CHF 16 Mio/year for 2014-16 (Rank 12)

· UNICEF: CHF 22 Mio/year for 2014-16 (Rank 14)

· UN-Women: CHF 14 Mio/year for 2014 (Rank 7)

Specific multi-bi contributions:
to the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women: CHF 4.86 Mio/3year (Dec. 2013 - Dec. 2016)

to the „Joint Health and Nutrition Program (JHNP) in Somalia”, implemented by UNICEF/WHO/UNFPA: CHF 5 Mio (06/2014 - 12/2016)

Special Program of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP)” - a joint global program by WHO, UNICEF; UNFPA, UNDP, WB with FGM as one priority theme: CHF 1.2 Mio/year

At the bilateral level, Swiss development cooperation mainly works through its basic and non-formal education programs to address the phenomenon of early marriage challenges (about CHF 29 Mio/year). Research by the University of Zurich on child wellbeing and development, aimed inter alia at improving effectiveness in changing norms, also receives Swiss government support.

Switzerland’s domestic commitments
Early and forced marriage: Swiss national program against forced marriages (CHF 2 Mio, 2013-2017): http://www.gegen-zwangsheirat.ch (only in French/German/Italian)

FGM: Swiss national prevention and awareness campaigns against FGM (CHF 1 Mio, 2006-2014): http://www.bag.admin.ch/themen/gesundheitspolitik/07685/12512/13670...

Swiss National Working Group Against FGM: http://www.bag.admin.ch/themen/gesundheitspolitik/07685/12512/14074...

Swiss legislation:
Swiss law against forced marriages in force since 01.07.2013: http://www.admin.ch/opc/de/official-compilation/2013/1035.pdf

Swiss criminal law provision on female genital mutilation in force since July 2012 (SCC Art. 124): http://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified-compilation/19370083/index.ht...

Tearfund
By March 2015, outline key commitments to end FGMC within Tearfund Sexual Violence strategy

By March 2018, build a strong faith response committed to ending FGMC across 3 countries in Sub Saharan Africa

By 2018, mentor and accompany at least 6 survivors to become Champions, influencing policy and actions

The African Union Commission
The African Union Commission is committed to the fight against Child, Early and Forced Marriage and other harmful traditional practices affecting girls and women in Africa and will continue in a coordinated and concerted manner to strongly advocate against negative practices that impinge on or contravene the rights and welfare of the child, in particular the girl-child.

Launch of the AU Campaign in selected countries that have high prevalence rate of child marriage, launches will be done over a three year period

We will have an impact assessment event with Member States, Regional Economic Communities and partners in May 2017 to see the progress of the country launches and the way forward

The National Council for Child Welfare (NCCW), Sudan
Continuing and strengthening Social dynamics for change towards abandonment FGM/c through Saleema initiative and CEFM according to the proposed national strategy for addressing CEFM which already drafted, this actions will be held in light of the global Joint Programme and Girl’s Summit Charter 2014.

The Office of the Children’s Commissioner for England

The Office of the Children’s Commissioner is committed to addressing forced marriage in our Child Sexual Abuse Inquiry, the objective of which is to end forced marriage in England.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
The OECD will work with member countries and partner governments in developing countries to contribute to the elimination of all norms and practices which discriminate against and violate the rights of women and girls, such as FGM and early and forced marriage. We will do this by providing a solid evidence base, notably by strengthening our measurements of discriminatory norms and practices and tracking donor financing in support of gender equality and women’s and girls’ rights.

The Popualtion Council
The Population Council commits to identifying and articulating new, effective approaches to preventing child marriage, FGM, and other forms of gender-based violence. We dedicate ourselves to conducting rigorous research to generate the high-quality evidence needed to shape strategies that are cost-effective and powerful. The Council commits to working to ensure the effective use of our evidence by decision makers in governments and civil society organizations to improve policies and programs. We are dedicated to helping girls, families, and communities to abandon the practices of child marriage and FGM and to adopt values, norms, and practices that promote girls’ health, safety, and wellbeing. The Population Council will conduct research in at least seven countries, involving at least 50,000 girls by 2016 to support this commitment

The REACH Programme, Uganda
Develop a concept on Kick FGM/C and Child Marriage Football and Netball Tournament 2015.

Hold talk shows on FGM/C and Child Marriage at local radios.

Use the Grandmother approach to reach and involve the old women in achieving the desired change.

Traditional Music competitions with a target theme.

Outreaches through rallies to villages, schools and market place using participatory theatre and brass band.

The United Nations Development Programme
We, the United Nations Development Programme, support the efforts of national partners to develop and implement the required legal and policy frameworks to combat all forms of sexual and gender-based violence. We use our convening power as the UN’s lead development organization to advocate for gender equality, women’s empowerment and the rights of women and girls, including through public awareness and community mobilization campaigns on the prevention of and response to sexual and gender-based violence. Addressing FGM and child early and forced marriage are integral aspects of this work. Eliminating FGM and CEFM are vital to the achievement of gender equality and human development.

U.S. Government
Early Forced Marriage

Provide appropriate health care and access to education to married children and educate communities on the harmful effects of early, forced marriage.

Study the effectiveness of programs to delay marriage in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Burkina Faso and share solutions with other regions impacted by the practice.

Evaluate the impact of programs in Haryana, India that provide financial incentives to families who keep their girls in school. The program has reached 3,000 girls at risk for early, forced marriage.

Launch a new program in Nepal to educate students, teachers, and community leaders on the importance of delaying marriage and keeping girls safe, both at home and in school.

Develop new programs in Yemen and Bangladesh to help communities advocate for laws banning the practice of early, forced marriage.

Launch a new program in Benin targeting approximately 100,000 beneficiaries to (i) raise community awareness of the harmful effects of early and forced marriage and the law prohibiting forced marriage and (ii) establish “one-stop” GBV care centers to provide medical, legal, psychosocial, and economic support to survivors of GBV, including married children.

Promote Let Girls Learn, a global social media campaign raising awareness on the importance of investing in girls and their education.

FGM Domestic:

Produce a new report estimating the number of girls at risk for or who have already undergone FGM/C in the United States;

Provide information on FGM/C to educators and immigrant and refugee service provider organizations in communities throughout the United States with large populations of girls at risk;

Strengthen awareness and training for healthcare providers serving girls and women at risk for or living with the consequences of FGM/C, and disseminate information to clinicians in community health centers;

Establish an information and resources depository with links to health/legal providers, to inform women and girls of their rights and provide options for those seeking help;

Develop and disseminate a newsletter to U.S. Attorney’s Offices setting forth guidance regarding investigations and prosecutions using the FGM/C statute.

FGM International:

Explore research opportunities to learn how better to support and treat girls and women living with the consequences of FGM/C;

Ensure that U.S. embassies in relevant countries have updated information on FGM/C to share with travellers and those seeking to immigrate to the United States;

Launch a new program in partnership with the Government of Guinea, multilateral and civil society actors to address this issue in high FGM/C prevalence areas, impacting up to 65,000 girls through community awareness and capacity- building;
Support the Nairobi Centre of Excellence to improve health care for girls and women suffering from the negative consequences of FGM/C and work in close partnership with indigenous groups at the community level to promote
Uganda Parliamentary Forum for Children
To advocate for the passage of the Children’s Act.

Encourage government to fast track the formulation of the birth and death registration policy- This will establish a robust birth and death registration system since birth registration is key in child protection as it determines age and helps hold perpetrators and accomplices accountable.

Lobby Central government and Local governments to provide necessary budgetary resources- This will improve child protection work in terms of creating community awareness, coordinating and strengthening child protection structures to adequately facilitate law enforcement agencies like probation office, police, and courts to improve their effectiveness.

Lobby Ministry of Gender, Labour and social development to develop a comprehensive child protection strategy, together with increased budget allocations. This is to guide interventions at all levels and will make a significant difference.

Stop Violence Against Children in and around schools. Corporal punishments are widely accepted and yet the harm our children. As a Forum we know that there are better effective approaches to child discipline as it is also against the Ministry of Education Policy.

Ugandan Ministry for Gender, Labour & Social Dev
Commitment to prioritze attention to pursue abandonment of FGM/C and address child marriages in National Development Plan 2 (NDP2) and the Social Development Sector Plan.

Commitment to prioritze attention to pursue abandonment of FGM/C and address child marriages in NDP2 and the Social Development Sector Plan; Integration of FGM abandonment activities in the District Development Plans

Formulation of Sector Development Plan with priorities on FGM/C and child marriage

Mobilisation of domestic resources - To bring FGM and CEFM on the list of key priorities in the Social Development Sector; and to adequately fund the sector to respond to them. Currently, the SDS receives less than 1% of the national budget.

Improved coordination and documentation of the national response on FGM and Child marriages.

Improved effectiveness of district probation and child welfare departments

National campaign to reduce teenage pregnancy. Work to tackle social norms.

Improved disaggregated data in sector management Information system to correlate drop out to FGM and CEFM for stepping up targeted efforts in the sector. Increasingly mainstream issues in all subsector plans and budgets with increased public spending to improve quality and to implement policies and programmes to the learners. Policy on re entry of child mothers and retention of young pregnant girls in school or education institutions (skilling Uganda).

An information magement system for FGM and Child Marriages managed by MGLSD to improve national planning

An enabling environment for civil society advocacy on FGM and EFCM

UNESCO
UNESCO will work with governments, non-governmental and civil society groups, community leaders and parents to keep and bring back girls to school through secondary by intensifying high-level policy advocacy and dialogues; reinforcing normative and standard-setting actions; and increasing provision of technical assistance to Member States to promote gender-responsive and gender transformative teacher training and practices, to develop curricula, textbooks and media contents that combat stereotypes and to equip them with the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to take full charge of their social, economic and political lives.

UNFPA
In line with its 2014-2017 Strategic Plan[1], UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is committed to ending the harmful practices of Child, Early and Forced Marriage and Female Genital Mutilation. We join hands with governments, civil society, the private sector, and other constituencies to:

1. Support the design and implementation of comprehensive programmes to reach adolescent girls at risk of child marriage in at least 12 high prevalence countries[2] by 2017. We reaffirm UNFPA’s commitment to allocate US$20 million to building the health, social and economic assets of marginalized adolescent girls.

2. Intensify UNFPA’s support to regional and national efforts in protecting 4 million girls from Female Genital Mutilation, and providing sexual and reproductive health care to those living with its consequences, by 2020 in at least 17 countries[3]. We reaffirm UNFPA’s commitment to work with partners to end FGM in one generation.

UNFPA strives to ensure the sexual and reproductive health and rights of everyone, and is unequivocally dedicated to promoting and protecting the rights, and well-being of girls everywhere.

[1] Output 8, Indicator 8.1: Number of countries that have health, social and economic asset-building programmes that reach out to adolescent girls at risk of child marriage
Output 10, Indicator 10.3: Number of communities supported by UNFPA that declare the abandonment of female genital mutilation/cutting

[2] CEFM programme countries include: Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Guatemala, India, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia

[3] FGM/C progamme countries include: Burkina Faso, Djibouti Ethiopia, Eritrea, Egypt, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Somalia, Uganda, Yemen,

.

UNICEF
UNICEF will work with national governments and other partners to end FGM/C and child marriage by:

Getting girls into school, and keeping them there, by:

Implementing social protection programmes that incentivize girl’s schooling and later marriages through cash transfers.

Expanding education for girls, and improving learning outcomes for the most marginalized girls, up to secondary school.

Supporting menstrual hygiene management and the provision of adequate water and sanitation facilities to encourage girls’ school attendance.

Addressing school-related gender based violence, including through teacher training, information and life-skills for girls, and confidential help lines.

Helping mobilize action by young people, families, communities, and civil society groups to end FGM/C and child marriage by:
Using mass communication and social mobilization to raise awareness and underline the urgency of abandoning harmful social practices affecting girls and women. This would include TV and radio stations that reach millions of people and engaging with local partners on door-to-door advocacy with households.

Using social media and other communication tools to elevate the voices of girls themselves and engage men and boys to bring about change. The U-Report – an SMS based platform being used by adolescents to discuss and report child marriage and FGM/C cases is one example.

Supporting and promoting public declarations amongst both individuals and communities on their commitments to end FGM/C and child marriage.

Investing in programmes and services that address FGM/C and child marriage, by:

Increasing access to health and nutrition services for girls and women married as children or subjected to FGM/C. This includes investing in decentralized health units and engaging community health workers who are equipped with the needed skills and support.

Strengthening local child protection systems, for instance through community committees that address threats of FGM/C or child marriage, resolve them or refer the cases to district authorities.

Generating and using data to break the silence, track progress and inform action, by:
Tracking the percentage as well as the number of girls and women married as children or experiencing FGM/C, within and across countries.

Developing indicators to track progress in changes in public attitudes about FGM/C, child marriage and gender equality.

Accelerating the registration of births and marriages, including through the use of modern technology like free SMS based communication.

Vital Voices Global Partnership
Vital Voices commits to utilizing the Gender-Based Violence Response Initiative to provide emergency assistance to survivors of extreme forms of gender based violence and harmful tradition al practices, specifically including forced/early marriage and female genital mutilation/cutting. Funding can be provided to survivors for expenses that include, but are not limited to, medical expenses, psychosocial support or counselling, emergency shelter or other safe accommodation, relocation expenses, livelihood and dependent support (including foster care and other forms of child care), and legal assistance. By September 30, 2015, the GBV Response Initiative aims to support at least 50 survivors through this program.

Welsh Government
Delivering a Survivor Care Pathway for Wales

Launching the National Training Framework

Raising Community Awareness through a range of publicity, social media and other communications tools.

Women Deliver
Women Deliver will enhance its advocacy for an end to FGM and CEFM, and for broader investments in the health, rights, and well-being of girls and women.

We commit to:

Support at least two seed grants for Women Deliver Young Leaders to implement projects in their communities to end CEFM.

Organize sessions at the global Women Deliver 2016 conference (May 2016) focusing on solutions and best practices for ending FGM and CEFM, driving commitments to such

Include and enhance advocacy and messaging around CEFM, in particular in relation to young people’s needs and key barriers to fulfilling their potential.

World Health Organisation
We will:

1. Coordinate and carry out research to enhance evidence-base for efforts to prevent and address the health consequences of child marriage and FGM/C. In doing so, strengthen research capacity in low resource settings and facilitate and South-South and North-South collaboration (mainly through WHO FGM/C research network.

2. Support the implementation of the WHO recommendations on prevention of early marriage and addressing adverse health outcomes.

3. Develop policy and programmatic guidelines to manage adverse health consequences of FGM/C and improve the care for women and girls living with FGM/C .

4. Support countries in planning, implementing and monitoring policies and programmes to prevent and respond to child marriages and FGM/C

World Vision
World Vision, a global partnership working in nearly 100 countries, commits to do all we can to protect children from the extreme harm of child, early and forced marriage (CEFM) and female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). We will make every effort to:

Pilot and scale up innovative programme models in new contexts to engage faith leaders and men and boys to join us to stop CEFM and FGM/C.

Highlight the increased vulnerability of children to CEFM and other risks in disaster and conflict situations: We will integrate child protection and gender based violence response at the core of our new Disaster Management strategy.

Scale up our Life Skills training for girls and boys to promote gender equality and awareness, equipping them to protect themselves and others and to advocate against CEFM and FGM/C.

Closely monitor our effectiveness and impact through evaluations that involve the girls and boys and communities we serve and contribute to building a new evidence-base on CEFM and FGM/C.

Ensure more girls and boys are registered at birth.

Secure new resources to increase our capacity and scale up our programming to create a protective environment for children and prevent CEFM and FGM/C.

Strengthen or form new partnerships to work together on CEFM and FGM/C at multiple levels with national and global coalitions, faith leaders and civil society organisations

[chris macrae]

• Policy
• Detail
• Latest

Contents

1. Issue
2. Action
3. Case studies

Issue

We want to improve the lives of girls and women in every area of our international development work, from education to maternal and child health, from personal safety and security to economic and political empowerment.

By putting girls and women at the heart of everything we do, we can stop poverty before it starts. For example, we know that getting girls into school begins a chain reaction of further benefits. Educated women have better maternal health, fewer and healthier children and increased economic opportunities. They are also more likely to send their own children to school.

Our support to girls and women is also based on basic human rights. We believe girls and women have the right to:

• have control over their own bodies
• have a voice in their community and country
• live a life free of the fear of violence
• choose who to marry and when
• get an education
• get a job
• choose how they spend the money they earn

Action

To help girls and women to improve their opportunities and give them more control over their lives, we’re:

• helping to end early and forced marriage
• delaying their first pregnancy by helping 10 million more women to use modern methods of family planning
• helping at least 2 million women to deliver their babies safely with skilled midwives, nurses and doctors saving the lives of at least 50,000 women during pregnancy and childbirth
• helping 2.3 million women to get jobs and 18 million women to use financial services like bank accounts and insurance
• helping 4.5 million women to own and use land by supporting legal reforms to land and inheritance rights
• helping over 4.5 million girls to go to primary school and 700,000 ...
• reducing female genital mutilation by 30% in at least 10 priority c...
• helping to prevent violence against women by supporting 10 million women to access justice through the courts, police and legal assistance, and through a new £25 million research programme into what works to reduce violence
• helping to prevent sexual violence against girls and women in conflict by working with the UN and other organisations to increase the ability of other countries’ governments to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of sexual violence and to protect survivors and witnesses

For more detail, read our Strategic Vision for Girls and Women 2011 and see the full reports on what has been achieved in the last 2 years - Strategic vision for girls and women: Two years on and Strategic vision for girls and women: One year on.

Read the latest update to the strategic vision (March 2014)

Case studies

• New livelihoods bring hope for women in Somalia

  Innovative soap and jewellery production creates homegrown businesses in the region

• Ending violence and transforming women's lives

  How UK aid is working to eliminate and prevent all forms of violence against women and girls

• From acid victim to activist: Hasina's courageous journey

  How the Acid Survivors Foundation is helping victims of acid attacks in Bangladesh

• Ending violence against women in Nepal

  UK aid support provides help for poor and socially marginalised women in rural communities

• Rising above the stigma and scars - the story of an acid attack sur...

  How UK aid is helping acid victims in Pakistan

• A time for change: ending female genital mutilation

  UK aid backs global wave of change to end damaging practice within a generation

• Sewing a better future for women in Afghanistan

  How small scale artisan embroiderers are becoming effective agents of development

• Building bridges to re-connect cut-off communities in Pakistan

  New bridges replace those destroyed either by the conflict in 2009 or the devastating floods in 2010

• Called to be a midwife in northern Nigeria

  How a midwifery school is inspiring a new generation of midwives

• Helping girls get an education

  How small stipends from UK aid are helping thousands of girls get an education in Pakistan

• Pakistan elections: Supporting women to cast their vote

  British aid is helping 100,000 Pakistani women register to vote for the first time - giving them the choice to have their say on who represents them

• Pakistan elections: Educating women on their fundamental rights

  UK aid supported voter mobilisation programme targeted at women highlights the importance of voting and gets rural women interested in exercising their rights

• Dignity and relief after years of suffering

  UKaid helps women suffering from obstetric fistula access surgery in Tanzania

• MDG 5 - Driving down maternal mortality in Nepal

  Nepal is on track for MDG 5. Childbirth is no longer the leading cause of death among women of reproductive age.

• A passion for education

  How UK aid is changing lives by getting more girls into school

• MDG 2 - Universal primary education in Zambia

  The Government of Zambia has established access and quality of education, especially for girls, as a national priority, even in hard economic times.

• MDGs in focus - MDG 3: Promote gender equality and empower women

  Small business loans are empowering women and breathing life into Afghanistan economy

• Fighting for women’s rights in Nepal

  Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone meets the women who are helping their communities

• Motorbikes and Midwives: A triple blessing

  Find out how UKaid is helping Kenyan mothers get access to maternal health care

• Girls determined to get an education

  How school bursaries are changing girls' lives in Tanzania

• Girls decide: Tackling child marriage and early pregnancy in Bangla...

  Hosna's father was planning for her to get married, but with help from a UK aid funded partner organisation, IPPF, she was able to make an informed decision about her future.

• Giving women a choice in Malawi

  How UK aid is helping women like Christina to plan their families and escape from poverty

• Last night an SMS saved my life

  How an innovative texting service is helping mothers and babies in Rwanda

• Gender violence in Pakistan

  Today marks the end of "16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence" - an awareness raising campaign which runs each year from 25 November, International Day Against Violence Against Women, up to 10 December, International Human Rights Day.

• Market women secure a decent trade in Ghana

  A UK aid funded scheme helps women in a Ghanaian market organise fair taxation

• Changing attitudes, fighting abuse in Bangladesh

  Educating both men and women about women's rights helps to reduce domestic abuse

• DFID Research: A Small Dream

  How one girl's dream of going to school has inspired other young Muslim women

• DFID Research: Straight Talking to combat HIV among young African w...

  A project in Uganda is helping young women talk about their lives with a view to developing a more gender aware approach to HIV prevention

• DFID Research: Women and the media in Bangladesh

  Research carried out by the Pathways of Women’s Empowerment programme in Dhaka has explored how media is affecting the lives of women in Bangladesh

• DFID Research: Story telling raises awareness of gender issues in E...

  This project shows how exposing young writers to ideas of gender equality had a huge impact on their lives and writings.

• DFID Research: Conditional Cash Transfers pilot scheme in rural Egypt

  Research conducted for the DFID-funded Pathways of Women's Empowerment Programme has been used to design a feminist Conditional Cash Transfers scheme in Egypt

• DFID Research: OBSERVE - Monitoring the application of a new domest...

  Brazil’s Maria da Penha Law was put in place to prevent and combat domestic and family violence against women

• Lady health workers saving lives in rural Pakistan

  How community-based female health workers are preventing the deaths of mothers and babies

• Improving maternal health in Somalia

  How UK support is helping Somali women have safer childbirths.

• Her own boss: giving hope to the poorest women in Bangladesh

  How UK support to BRAC is helping the poorest and most vulnerable women improve their lives in rural Bangladesh.

• The Dream Team: how health workers reach the remote in Indonesia

  The Indonesian government is working to improve healthcare services to people living in remote islands by sending medical help through professionals and advocates.

• Health heroes: Women taking the lead in health in Ethiopia

  The UK support to the Global Fund is helping to bring healthcare to the doorstep of rural Ethiopians through the training and deployment of health extension workers.

• Education brings hope for Pakistan's children

  Higher education programmes allow children to continue their education.

• Tackling violence against women in Pakistan

  UK support to the Acid Survivors Foundation is helping survivors of acid attacks get medical help and legal advice.

• Ending violence against girls in schools in Sierra Leone

  British support to the Girls’ Education Challenge is helping to educate young girls in Sierra Leone.

• Changing times: women police officers breaking barriers in Pakistan

  UK support to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is helping the province to improve women’s access to justice and become more responsive to women’s issues.

• Female genital mutilation: “My courageous decision to go against tr...

  Why a mother in Burkina Faso has decided not to have her daughters cut, thanks to a project supported by UK aid.

• "This scholarship will allow me to pursue my dream of becoming a do...

  How UK aid is improving girls’ lives in Pakistan by helping them gain a higher education and empowering them to pursue careers.