Uganda: faith-based community organisation works to prevent child marriage through events and radio

Desk of Hope International Ministries, a faith-based organisation based in Rukungiri, Uganda engaged with the local community to raise awareness about the importance of preventing child marriage.

Around 500 people engaged in activities including workshops, discussions, and outreach programs. Participants actively contributed to the discussions, sharing their personal experiences and insights on child marriage.

More than 1 in 3 young women in Uganda were married as children. Children in Uganda face a multitude of challenges to access their basic rights.

There are 1.7 million refugees in Uganda, making it home to Africa's largest refugee population, and the fifth largest refugee population in the world. Uganda is also extremely climate-vulnerable and has endured conflict, leading to Ugandans being internally displaced. Refugee and displaced girls are particularly vulnerable to child marriage, as it is perceived to be a way to 'protect' girls from violence and sexual violence - despite child marriage being a form of violence against children in itself, which enables child sexual abuse.

Girls in Uganda also became extremely vulnerable to child marriage and early pregnancy during the global pandemic. Schools in Uganda were closed for longer than anywhere else in the world, at nearly two years. A UNFPA survey found that 354,736 teenage pregnancies were registered in 2020 and a total of 290,219 were registered between January and September 2021. Overall, these numbers represent significantly higher rates of adolescent pregnancy than pre-pandemic levels. In many countries, child marriage and adolescent pregnancy are interrelated: child marriage is often the cause of adolescent pregnancy, and pre-marital pregnancy also puts girls at risk of child marriage.

These vulnerabilities make it vital for communities and children themselves to understand their rights and protections against child marriage.

As well as hosting a large-scale event, Desk of Hope International amplified its message to the local community by participating in an interview with Boona FM Rukungiri, a local radio station. This platform allowed them to reach a wider audience and further spread our message about protecting children's rights and preventing early marriages.