Reducing Child and Early Forced Marriage in Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso 2020-2023

Over the course of three years (26th February 2020 – 31st March 2023) and with a total budget of CAD $ 12, 641, 911, the project “My Body. My Decision. My Rights: Reducing Child, Early and Forced Marriage (CEFM) in Sierra Leonne and Burkina Faso” aims to reduce CEFM, enable girls to make decisions on their own future and fulfil their equal human rights by addressing the underlying normative conditions which maintain gender inequality and making alternative opportunities more accessible and meaningful for girls. As such, the project targeted the driving factors of CEFM by empowering very young adolescent (VYA, 10-14 years) and older adolescent (OA, 15-18 years) girls and to make their own informed decisions about marriage and pregnancy; improving the social environment for adolescent girls to make these decisions, and finally strengthening the institutional environment at the national and sub-national level to accelerate action on gender equality, the prevention of CEFM and improving quality of ASRH services. Aligned with the development priorities of Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and its Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP), the Project promotes gender equality and girls’ empowerment by working across the socio-ecological model, including adolescent girls and boys, parents, traditional and religious leaders, women and girl-led community groups, civil society organizations (CSOs) including women’s rights organizations (WROs), service providers, sub-national, national, and regional government stakeholders. The total reach of 26,690 direct beneficiaries (10,950 girls, 7,530 boys, 2,940 women, and 2,940 men) and 30,965 indirect beneficiaries (5,405 girls, 4,960 boys, 10,700 women, and 9,900 men) in 30 communities.