Community Engagement and Empowerment: Amplifying Girls’ Voices Across Uganda

At Girls Not Brides Uganda (GNBU), we believe that ending child marriage starts with the power and agency of girls themselves. By focusing on rural and marginalized communities, our 2025 regional summits and storytelling initiatives have created a platform for youth leadership and community-led advocacy that aligns with global strategic directions for gender equality.

The Regional Girl Summits: Driving Change at the Local Level

Under the theme “The Cost of Inaction to Address the Root Causes of Child Marriage and Teenage Pregnancy in Uganda,” GNBU convened powerful regional summits across five key districts:

• Central: Luwero District
• Eastern: Tororo District (featuring a “Run for the Girl” marathon)
• Northern: Otuke District
• South Western: Kyenjojo District
• Mid-Western: Masindi District

These engagements were not just meetings—they were vibrant displays of advocacy featuring drama, songs, skits, debates, and storytelling by children. These platforms allowed girls in rural areas to learn about their rights, influence their own choices, and identify where to seek help.

Speaking Truth to Power: Identifying the Realities

The summits served as a critical bridge between local realities and national policy. Through reports from district technical staff and CSOs, we identified that early marriage is driven by:

• Deepening household poverty and harmful gender norms.
• Weak enforcement of laws and widespread negotiated settlements for defilement.
• Barriers to school retention and gaps in adolescent SRHR knowledge.

These findings were compiled into a formal Issue Paper presented to national delegates, calling for the government to declare the national strategy to end child marriage a priority and for Parliament to legislate against informal case settlements.

Impact in Numbers: Surpassing Our Goals

The success of these summits is reflected in the massive participation of youth and community members. While we initially planned to reach 1,500 participants, the actual turnout reached 2,315 registered attendees, surpassing our original projection by 41%.

Participation Breakdown by the Numbers:

By ensuring that 71% of our participants were children and youth, GNBU is successfully strengthening youth leadership and ensuring that those most affected by child marriage are at the forefront of the solution.

This update is part of our ongoing commitment to community accountability and child participation.