Project profile — Support to UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to Accelerate Action to End Child Marriage

• Mozambique (7.00%)
• Ethiopia (8.00%)
• India (11.00%)
• Nepal (12.00%)
• Yemen (7.00%)
• Niger (8.00%)
• Ghana (7.00%)
• Burkina Faso (7.00%)
• Zambia (7.00%)
• Bangladesh (12.00%)
• Sierra Leone (7.00%)
• Uganda (7.00%)

• Government And Civil Society, General: Ending violence against women and girls (15180) (100.00%)

• Gender equality (principal objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (not targeted)
• Participatory development and good governance (not targeted)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (principal objective)
• Youth Issues (principal objective)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)

The project supports the UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to Accelerate Action to End Child Marriage, a multi-donor joint United Nations program aimed at eliminating child marriage in 12 countries in Africa and South Asia where the rates of child marriage are among the highest: Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Yemen and Zambia. The project focuses on enabling girls at risk of child marriage to choose and direct their own futures, through activities aimed at bringing about change in the empowerment of girls, with the ultimate aim to prevent child marriage and support already married girls. Project activities include: (1) building the skills and knowledge of girls at risk of child marriage, and married girls; (2) supporting girls to enrol and remain in formal and non-formal education; (3) engaging in dialogue with families, communities and leaders to protect girls from child marriage and uphold their rights; and (4) working with health and protection systems to implement guidelines, protocols and standards for girl-friendly health and protection services. The beneficiaries are girls at risk of child marriage or those already married in Africa and South Asia, particularly those in the 12 countries mentioned above.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) households demonstrate positive attitudes and behaviours regarding gender equality; (2) relevant sectoral systems deliver quality and cost-effective services to meet the needs of girls; (3) national laws, policy frameworks and mechanisms to protect and promote girls' rights are in line with international standards and properly resourced; and (4) governments support and promote the generation and use of robust data and evidence to inform programme design, track progress and document lessons.

Results achieved as of December 2023 include: (1) supported over 30 million adolescent girls (aged 10 to 19) to participate in life skills or comprehensive sexuality education programs; (2) supported 2.9 million adolescent girls to enroll and remain in school; (3) engaged 66 million community members, including adolescent boys and girls, in meaningful community dialogues. This includes dialogues on child marriage, adolescent girls’ rights, and gender equality; (4) reached close to 400 million individuals by mass media (traditional and social media) messaging on child marriage, adolescent girls’ rights, and gender equality; (5) 2,400 primary, secondary, and non-formal schools in program areas reported providing quality gender-friendly education that meets minimum standards; (6) drafted, proposed or adopted 118 policies or legal instruments addressing child marriage at the national and sub-national level; and (7) strengthened 21,000 service delivery points in program areas to provide quality adolescent responsive services that meet the minimum standards. These delivery points include health, child protection, and gender-based violence services.

• Proactive disclosure