The Power of Partnerships: Ending Child Marriage Through Education and Gender Equality in Uganda

By Joyce Nakato, Team Leader, Uganda Youth and Adolescents Health Forum (UYAHF) and Co-Chair, Girls Not Brides Uganda

Child marriage in Uganda remains one of the most pressing challenges facing our communities. It denies children, especially girls, their right to education, health, protection, and a future of choice. Ending child marriage requires collective action, sustained partnerships, and a transformation of mindsets across all genders.

My journey as Co-Chair of Girls Not Brides Uganda has shown me that when we work together, prioritize education, and promote respect for both girls and boys, we can break the cycle of child marriage and create lasting change.

My Leadership Role in the Fight to End Child Marriage

In July 2024, I was elected through a transparent process to serve as Co-Chair of Girls Not Brides Uganda, a national partnership bringing together more than 143 member organizations working at international, national, and local levels.

This leadership role entrusted me with coordinating efforts to prevent child marriage, strengthen advocacy campaigns, and amplify girls’ voices across Uganda. Since then, I have dedicated my energy to ensuring that every girl has the opportunity to reach her full potential through education and protection.

At Girls Not Brides Uganda, our strength lies in collaboration. Each member organization contributes expertise, programs, and advocacy efforts that strengthen our collective impact in addressing the root causes of child marriage.

Why Education Is Key to Ending Child Marriage

Education is the most powerful investment parents can make in their children, regardless of gender. It equips children with age-appropriate information and life skills, enabling them to make informed decisions about their futures.

Schools provide safe spaces where children:

• Build confidence and leadership skills

• Access sexual and reproductive health information

• Interact with supportive teachers and mentors

• Develop aspirations beyond early marriage

The COVID-19 pandemic further demonstrated how vulnerable children become when they are out of school. School closures increased the risk of child marriage in many communities. Keeping girls in school delays marriage, protects their rights, and supports national development.

When both boys and girls are educated, communities benefit. Education fosters gender equality, mutual respect, and shared responsibility for social change.

The Role of Partnerships in Preventing Child Marriage

Ending child marriage in Uganda is not the work of one organization. Partnerships are the engine driving sustainable impact.

Through Girls Not Brides Uganda, member organizations, including the Uganda Youth and Adolescents Health Forum (UYAHF), prioritize education and child protection as core programming areas. We work closely with government ministries to ensure that supportive policies translate into real protection for children.

Our collaborative approach has saved lives.

In Kazo District, for example, we rescued a girl I will call Annet, whose parents had arranged a forced marriage. Through coordinated partnership:

• One organization counseled the family

• Another provided shelter and psychosocial support

• Law enforcement intervened to hold the father accountable

Annet was safely reintegrated into her community and returned to school. Today, she excels academically and dreams of becoming a lawyer to advocate for girls’ education and children’s rights.

Her story is a testament to the power of multi-sectoral collaboration in addressing child marriage.

Promoting Gender Equality and Respect Across Generations

Ending child marriage is not only about rescue interventions. It requires reshaping societal norms to value and respect all genders equally.

Parents, community leaders, and policymakers must:

• Respect children’s rights and decisions

• Promote gender equality in households and schools

• Support dialogue between generations

Intergenerational dialogue forums have proven effective in bridging gaps between parents and young people. These conversations foster mutual understanding, accountability, and shared commitment to protecting children.

When communities begin to see girls as equal contributors to development rather than economic burdens, lasting change becomes possible.

A Collective Call to Action

My experience as Co-Chair of Girls Not Brides Uganda has reaffirmed a simple but powerful truth: empowerment is collective.

• Education is the foundation.

• Gender equality is the glue.

• Partnership is the engine.

Together, we can end child marriage in Uganda. Together, we can ensure that every child, girl, or boy has the freedom to learn, grow, and dream.

The future we seek is one where education replaces early marriage, respect replaces discrimination, and partnership replaces silence.

And that future is within reach if we work together.

SHE Centre is here to help you.

Find your community at SHE Space. You were never meant to do this alone.

Under the SHE Journey Shelf, find downloadable resources and tune into The SHE Podcast to find yourself in someone else’s story.

Connect with our partner organizations who are ready to walk alongside you in this season.