Everyone has a role to play in the movement to end child marriage. In this brief, we explore the role of religious leaders and highlight key approaches to support civil society organisations who are considering engaging with them in their efforts to end child marriage.
Every year 12 million girls are married before the age of 18. This denies them their rights and childhood, often meaning an end to their formal schooling and the start of their life as a wife and mother, with profound physical, psychological and emotional consequences.
This brief is intended for civil society organisations that would like to start engaging with religious leaders in their work to end child marriage. It is part of a series that looks at different parts of a comprehensive approach to ending child marriage, and is based on research by the Unit for Religion and Development at Stellenbosch University, and on insights from about twenty Girls Not Brides members and partners who work with religious leaders. Practitioners can use this brief to guide them in their decisions about whether to engage with religious leaders, and if so, how.
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