Girls Parliament to end child marriage in Uganda

"I have not committed any crime. It’s her parents who gave her to me to marry” Okodi*, 17, tying to defend himself for marrying Pamela*, 11 at a police station in Eastern Uganda.

Okodi married Janet last year and they were expecting a baby when a concerned nurse reported them to the police after Pamela had gone for antenatal care.

"Her parents said they cannot look after her so they told me to marry her so that I can provide her with what she needs and I accepted” Okodi further states.

In many developing countries like Uganda, and especially in rural areas, such stories are neither strange nor breaking news. Most times, poor families find themselves at a crossroads where they cannot feed themselves and their children. The immediate available option is to marry off their girls since they are a “potential” source of income as a “market” is always available.

Three driving factors come to light from the above; poverty, lack of education and awareness and cultural norms. Be it in Uganda, Bangladesh, Niger or Paraguay, all these factors are so intertwined that they make fighting child marriage a global combat not limited to a particular community

If we are to change the narrative, we need to first understand where we are coming from and where we are heading so as to find ways to challenge the status quo using a global approach but applying local methods.

To start, child marriage is deeply rooted in cultural norms but perpetuated by poverty. Girls from poor backgrounds are more likely to be married off before they reach the age of 18 than those from well off families. Many parents marry off girls simply because they cannot pay their school fees, cater for their basic needs, provide wise counsel to them or simply because they want to ‘make’ money out of them.

Consequently, effects of early marriage on girls are rarely looked at. With marriage, naturally comes pregnancy. A girl under the age of 18 is physically not yet ready to bear a child. This puts her at higher chances of getting fistula (resulting in permanent psychological torture) or even death during childbirth.

Furthermore, one thing that is widely ignored yet gruesome is sexual abuse and violence that comes with a girl’s first sexual experience. At such tender age, she is naturally afraid and not willing to have intercourse and thus she will be forced to have sex.

Therefore, child marriage limits a girl’s breakthrough in life. She loses everything when she is still young and ends up having low self-esteem. Is this what we wish for our young girls globally?

We all can do something to ensure that child marriage is reduced worldwide.

Families and communities must show value to the girl child. Communities need to be engaged to understand that child marriage robs the children of their innocence and ability to dream and create a better future for themselves

SCOEN now organizes community dialogues in the rural areas where girls are more prone to teenage pregnancies and child marriage, so as to create awareness about the evil

During such dialogues, district leaders, religious leaders, policy makers and peer educators educate the masses on why it is wrong based on the testimonies of the young people who have gone through that ordeal. It is surprising how many people are not aware of the consequences.

SCOEN with support from generous people like you, and support from corporate companies, foundations hopes to reduce child marriage by at least 10% in the next five years across the country. This is only possible if everyone gets involved.

As time slips by, another generation of girls like Pamela, are being lost to child marriage globally. We can do more to help — and we should.

*Not real names

SCOEN Team 

STAKEHOLDERS DIALOGUE ON LAYING STRATAGIES TO END CHILD MARRIAGE AND TEENAGE PREGNANCY

In Uganda, approximately 40% of girls are married before 18, and 24% of girls aged 15-19 are either pregnant or already mothers. These issues are particularly severe in Northern Uganda, including the Acholi and Lango sub-regions, where cultural practices, economic hardships, and a history of conflict exacerbate the problem.

Addressing these challenges involves the active participation of cultural, local, and traditional leaders, who can influence social norms and enforce laws.

SCOEN convened a stakeholder dialogue in Bukedea district, focusing on laying strategies to end child marriage and teenage pregnancy in entire Teso sub-region. The dialogue brought together a diverse group of participants, including cultural leaders, District and Sub County officials, representatives from civil society organizations (CSOs), and religious leaders, all united in their commitment to tackling this pressing issue.

Speaking at the event The District Community Development Officer (DCDO) expressed deep concern over the persistently high rates of child marriage and teenage pregnancy in the region, citing a 28% teenage pregnancy rate in region as of 2020. She recounted the challenges faced when engaging cultural leaders, who sometimes resist efforts to combat these practices due to deep-seated traditions and norms. She revealed that social workers working toward ending child marriage in Teso as a region are facing death threats.

[………there was a time when the situation of child marriages was very bad in Amach. We went there with police and conducted
 a massive engagement of that community through sensitization on child protection. Furthermore, we went ahead and wrote a
 position paper in 2018 to address issues of child abuse and it was disseminated to social workers and cultural leaders. I wrote a provocative paper concerning issues of child marriage and one time, while we were in a meeting engaging cultural leaders, I
 shared it in the meeting. As we were going for breakfast after presenting the paper, one of the cultural leaders came to me and told me, “If you think you are going to hold that personal, you are going to die. You need to relax.” It hurt me and it still hurts me up to now because I expected the cultural leaders to come out and help us fight these issues. So, I discovered that we duty bearers don’t take issues seriously”] said the DCDO.

Cultural leaders emphasized the importance of parental involvement and the dangers of neglecting children, who are often exposed to harmful influences such as pornography or abuse. They also pointed out that traditional practices, like sending children to live with relatives, can expose them to risks that contribute to early marriage and pregnancy.

The dialogue revealed several challenges, including the cooperation between victims and perpetrators, misconceptions about children’s rights, and the vulnerability of senior teachers. Participants recommended early dissemination of discussion topics, involving victims and teenagers in future dialogues, and extending the dialogue to local leaders and religious figures to foster broader community engagement.

This stakeholder dialogue marked a significant step in the ongoing efforts to end child marriage and teenage pregnancy across the country.

This dialogue is part to the broader project supported by our dedicated support from the Gloablgiving platform, which aims to Enhancing coordination and learning to end child marriage in Uganda. This project aims to strengthen collaboration andworking at the community, regional, and national levels to combat child marriage in Uganda among stakeholders working to end child marriage in Uganda. By fostering dialogue among diverse groups, the initiative fostered a collaborative approach to tackling these deeply entrenched issues, laying the groundwork for sustained action and positive change in the region.

At the national level, SCOEN’s work supports the implementation of Uganda’s National Strategy on Ending Child Marriage and Teenage Pregnancy of which we have contributed to the development and adoption of this strategy.

SCOEN’s efforts to end child marriage directly contribute to several SDGs, particularly:

• Goal 5: Gender Equality – Ending child marriage is crucial for achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls. The focus on engaging community leaders and strengthening institutions to protect children’s rights contributes to building more just and inclusive societies.
• Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being – Addressing teenage pregnancy is vital for improving health outcomes for young girls and reducing maternal mortality rates.
• Goal 4: Quality Education – By preventing child marriage, more girls can remain in school, thereby improving educational attainment and future opportunities