GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN ACROSS AFRICA LAUNCH “NEVER BEFORE 18” TO END CHILD MARRIAGE AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

Toronto, October 11 2026 – Girls and young women from across Africa are coming together today to launch Never Before 18, a campaign demanding action to end child marriage and gender-based violence, as hard-won gains for girls’ rights are under increasing pressure.

Launched on International Day of the Girl by the Her Power Partnership, of which Save the Children is a member, the campaign calls on governments, institutions and donors to turn commitments into measurable action and to ensure that girls’ and young women’s voices shape the decisions that affect their lives [1].

Over the past decade significant progress has been made in reducing rates of child marriage, with child marriage declining from nearly one in four young women (around 25%) a decade ago to one in five (around 19-21%) today. An estimated 68 million child marriages have been averted in the past 25 years, an important global achievement that has enabled millions of girls to live safer and fuller lives.

However, despite this progress, 12 million girls are still married before the age of 18 every year, and the current pace is far too slow to meet the global target of ending child marriage by 2030.

Fatmata, 17, from Sierra Leone who is part of the campaign, said:

“Our future is bigger than a wedding day. Every girl deserves the chance to learn, dream and grow, and to have a say in the decisions that affect her life. Give every girl the chance to build the future she deserves.”

Muthoki Nzioka, feminist and advocate from the African Women’s Development and Communications Network (FEMNET) in Kenya, who is part of the campaign, said:

“Across the region, I have seen how child marriage can interrupt education, silence ambition and push girls into adulthood before they are ready. My call this International Day of the Girl is simple – protect her childhood, protect her choices, and never before 18.”

Melvina, a 16-year-old girl from Sierra Leone, who is part of the campaign, said:

“My message is simple and clear: never before 18. Not me, not any girl, not now. Child marriage takes away girls’ rights and choices. Every girl deserves the chance to learn, dream and decide her own future.”

Rahinatu Adamu Hussaini, Save the Children’s Global Senior Advisor on gender-based violence, said:

“For too long, the world has accepted child marriage as a difficult problem rather than an urgent injustice. We should be angry that millions of girls are still being denied their rights, opportunities and childhoods, but we should also be inspired by what is possible. When countries invest in girls’ education, rights and leadership, child marriage falls and communities thrive.

“What gives me hope is that girls themselves are leading the call for change. Across Africa, girls and young women are speaking out, organising, challenging harmful norms and showing extraordinary courage in demanding their rights. When girls and young women are listened to, supported and given opportunities, they are a powerful force for change in their families, communities and countries.”

Child marriage has devastating consequences for a girl’s life by depriving her of her rights to health, education, safety and participation. Girls married young are far less likely to stay in school, impacting their economic independence and decision-making, are at increased risk of physical and sexual violence, early pregnancy and childbirth related complications, and HIV infection.

Save the Children works around the world to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence, including child, early, forced marriage and unions around the world. This includes empowering girls through meaningful participation in decision-making, working with families and communities to address the root causes of gender inequality, delivering inclusive services, conducting research to inform programming and policy, and holding governments and other decision-makers accountable for girls’ rights.

NOTES:

[1] The Her Power Partnership includes the African Women’s Development and Communications Network (FEMNET) and the Danish Family Planning Association (DFPA) with Save the Children. More about the partnership here.