Girls Not Brides

Dr. Faith Mwangi-Powell, Chief Executive Officer

As the global civil society partnership to end child marriage, we know systemic change is only possible through collaboration, partnership, and collective action.

Being a SheDecides champion means acting together to ensure access to quality, stigma-free, and affordable sexual and reproductive health and rights for everyone, and especially for girls and women.

It means committing to giving every girl the right to choose, so that they can fulfil their potential.

How we are working so SheDecides

Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage brings together 1400 civil society organisations from over 110 countries around the world to act together to end child marriage and ensure girls can reach their full potential.

We believe in the power of collective action, and that social movements are critical to achieving systemic change.

Girls Not Brides members, National and State Partnerships and coalitions

Our members work across sectors – including sexual and reproductive health and rights, education, human rights and humanitarian contexts – seeking to bring child marriage to national, regional, and international attention. Girls Not Brides National and State Partnerships and coalitions are groups of member organisations that have come together to accelerate progress to end child marriage at the national or state level through collaboration and collective action.

Child marriage and SRHR

Child marriage is rooted in gender inequality and deprives girls and young women of their fundamental rights – including their sexual and reproductive health and rights – and significantly limits their life choices. Ending child marriage and enhancing access to quality, stigma-free, affordable SRHR services will significantly enhance the health and development outcomes for millions of children, adolescents and women around the world.

Advocating to end child marriage through SRHR policies

Girls Not Brides advocates for sexual and reproductive health and rights to end child marriage and protect the rights of married girls. Through global, regional, and national advocacy with member organisations, Girls Not Brides’ advocacy seeks to integrate child marriage into SRHR policies, secure commitments to advance SRHR, protect SRHR language against anti-gender backlash in global politically negotiated resolutions and declarations, and ensure state accountability under international law through UN human rights reporting mechanisms.

National Partnership spotlight: Guatemala

The "Red Voceras de Niñas y Adolescentes" network, facilitated by Mesa a Favor de Las Niñas y Adolescentes (NP), empowers young girls and adolescents nationwide through hybrid training in advocacy and political engagement. Participants gain vital skills and knowledge to drive change, with a curriculum emphasising human rights, gender sensitivity, and child marriage. Training includes national reality analysis, legal frameworks, political advocacy, ICT use, and public speaking. Follow #MesaNiñaGt and #RedVoceras for updates and achievements!

Member spotlight: AMODEFA Mozambique

AMODEFA (Mozambican Association for Family Development) leads, advocates for and ensures rights and access to integrated and quality sexual and reproductive services in an inclusive manner, especially for adolescents and youth. AMODEFA is also the joint coordinator for Coligação para Eliminação dos Casamentos Prematuros” (CECAP), the Girls Not Brides National Partnership to end child marriage and premature unions in Mozambique.

About Girls Not Brides

Girls Not Brides was initiated in September 2011 by The Elders, a group of independent global leaders working together for peace and human rights. They wanted to focus attention on the harmful practices that hold girls and women back, and to encourage and empower others to build a world free from child marriage.

Girls Not Brides became an independent charity in 2013. Mabel Van Oranje, Mrs Graca Machel and Sonita Alizadeh are Girls Not Brides Global Champions and advocates to end child marriage.

Our vision is a world without child marriage where girls and women enjoy equal status with boys and men and are able to achieve their full potential in all aspects of their lives.

WHENSHE DECIDES