Protecting girls from child marriage in Ethiopia
We are delighted to share that Ethiopiaid has been chosen to take part in the Big Give Women and Girls Match Fund 2024.
For one week, from midday on Thursday 10th October to Thursday 17th October, every donation will be doubled through the Big Give – mark your calendars!
The match fund appeal week also marks International Day of the Girl, which is celebrated each year on 11th October. This years’ theme is ‘Girls’ vision for the future’.
We believe girls and women are the key to building long-term change.
But many girls in Ethiopia face barriers and inequality, from the moment they are born. Many young girls undergo harmful practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM), and despite child marriage being illegal in Ethiopia, 40% of girls are married by the age of 18.
4 in 10 girls in Ethiopia are married before turning 18.
Child marriage exposes young girls to serious risks: limited education, violence from their husbands, denied freedom and pregnancy before their bodies are fully grown. Consecutive failed wet seasons and a devastating civil conflict has left families starving and desperate to give their children more security. The resulting sharp rise in child marriage denies girls the freedom to make their own choices for the future.
Our partner, the Afar Pastoralist Development Association (APDA), work to end this practice through their locally-led approach, by:
- Conducting workshops that teach girls to express their views on child marriage
- Working closely with clan leaders to ensure they understand the long-term harmfulness of this practice
- Training Women Extension Workers, to become respected figures so they can provide support to at-risk girls
By donating to our Big Give match fund appeal, your gift will go twice as far, helping our partner protect more girls as they work to end this violation of girls’ rights.
