GIRLS NOT BRIDES KENYA
Date: 16th December 2020

WHO ARE WE?
The GNB Kenya formerly the End Child Marriage
Network, Kenya was initiated in September 2017
GNB-Ke is an amalgamation of over 50 youth focused
and youth led national and county-level Civil Society
Organizations (CSOs), that work to create space for
young girls and girl-led CSOs to engage in policy and
budget advocacy ensuring evidence-informed policy
formulation and implementation to end child marriage
in Kenya

OUR VISION
A society free from child
marriage!

WHY A NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP?
• Improved coordination between Civil Society Organisations, funders
and partners in addressing Child, Early and Forced Marriages in
Kenya.
• Unity of purpose to counter community perception; Social
normalization of Child, Early and Forced Marriages by practising
communities
• Improved up to date and consistent data for informed programming
by all actors
• Scale up resourcing of Child Early and Forced Marriage initiatives
• A coordinating body to provide leadership in addressing child
marriage initiatives

THEMATIC OBJECTIVES
•Movement building towards ending child
marriage
•Evidence based Advocacy
•Capacity strengthening
•Research and learning

SITUATION OF CHILD MARRIAGE & IN
KENYA
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
National Nairobi Homa Bay Migori Isiolo Turkana Nyanza Rift Valley Coast Eastern North
Eastern
Central Kajiado
Central
ChildMarriageprevalence
County specific child marriage prevalence in Kenya by 2017, UNICEF

WHY A NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP?
• Girls Not Brides Kenya members in Kenya get a platform to share experience, learn and have joint
advocacy
• Girls Not Brides Kenya members collectively keep their government accountable for commitments
made to address Child, Early and Forced Marriages
• Girls Not Brides Kenya members speak with one voice calling for the completion of the draft
National Plan of Action to end Child, Early and Forced Marriages in Kenya (2016)
• Girls Not Brides Kenya members form a vibrant, strong and diverse national partnership and
collectively curve a roadmap with the government to develop, implement and monitor national
strategies to end Child, Early and Forced Marriages.
• Girls Not Brides Kenya members share and collectively implement innovative initiatives in ending
Child, Early and Forced Marriages in Kenya

LINK BETWEEN CEFM AND FGM FOR THE
ECMNKE?
• Member organizations work with communities where FGM/C as a cultural practice is a
precursor to CEFM
• The network's member organizations have employed strategies and interventions that tackle
CEFM and FGM in tandem.
• FGM/C and Child, Early and Forced Marriages are driven by gender inequality and social
beliefs. The strategies employed by member organizations tackling both HTPs target the
same audience or target populations.
• Several organisations that work to end FGM/C also work to end child marriage.

OUR CALL TO ACTION
The Government of Kenya to urgently;
1. Enact a Child Marriage Policy that criminalizes child marriage distinctly and
enforces Kenya’s regional and international commitments on Ending Child Early
and Forced Marriages.
2. Support the development of a National Plan of Action to End Child Marriage
and implement the commitments made by Kenya on the AU Common Position
on Ending Child Marriage
3. Revitalize and increase budgetary allocation towards all national agencies
charged with the mandate on child protection and ending Child Early and Forced
Marriages.
4. Strengthen resources to the all Child Protection units within the Criminal Justice
system
5. Discuss technical and strategic possibilities of expanding the mandate of the
Anti-FGM Board to include issues of Child Marriage.

LET GIRLS BE GIRLS!!!
LET GIRLS BECOME WOMEN OF THEIR
DREAMS!!!