Girls Not Brides

Girls Not Brides is a global partnership of over 1,400 civil society organizations committed to ending child marriage and enabling girls to fulfill their potential. In Kenya, this movement is particularly active, addressing the complex interplay of cultural practices, poverty, and gender inequality that perpetuate child marriage.

🇰🇪 Girls Not Brides in Kenya

In Kenya, Girls Not Brides operates through a national partnership that unites local organizations to advocate for policy reforms, community engagement, and direct support for at-risk girls. The partnership’s goals include:

• Collaborating with stakeholders to develop a National Action Plan to end harmful practices, anchored in existing policy frameworks.

• Advocating for the expansion of the Anti-FGM Board’s mandate to encompass child marriage.

• Securing resources for interventions aimed at ending child marriage.

In 2024, Girls Not Brides Kenya submitted a report ahead of the country’s Universal Periodic Review, highlighting obligations to end harmful practices like child marriage and female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). The report recommended finalizing and funding the National Action Plan, training professionals to enforce laws against child marriage, and improving access to sexual and reproductive health services.

🌍 Member Organizations Driving Change

Several Kenyan organizations affiliated with Girls Not Brides are making significant strides:

• Tasaru Ntomonok Initiative (TNI): Operating in Narok County, TNI supports girls who have escaped FGM and early forced marriages, providing protection and educational opportunities.

• Nyanza Initiative for Girls’ Education & Empowerment (NIGEE): Focused on re-enrolling girls into school after early pregnancy, NIGEE helped over 300 girls return to education in 2013 and 2014.

• Women Education and Development Initiative (WEDI) Foundation: Based in Nairobi, WEDI empowers women and girls, particularly refugees and those from local communities, through education, health, and human rights programs.

• Coexist Initiative: This organization engages men and boys in eliminating gender-based violence and promoting respect for women’s and girls’ rights.

• Pastoralist Girls Initiative (PGI): Founded in 2008, PGI works with pastoral communities to reduce gender disparity, extreme poverty, and gender-based violence, focusing on empowering girls and women.

📊 Kenya’s Commitment and Challenges

Kenya has pledged to eliminate child, early, and forced marriage by 2030, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals. The government has co-sponsored multiple UN resolutions on this issue and acknowledged in its 2020 Voluntary National Review that harmful practices like child marriage and adolescent pregnancy hinder girls’ education.

However, challenges persist. Between 2016 and 2019, Kenya recorded nearly 2,000 cases of child marriage and over 6,000 cases of defilement. These figures underscore the need for continued efforts to address the root causes and enforce existing laws.

📰 Recent Developments

In March 2025, Girls Not Brides Kenya issued a statement condemning the brutal murder of Gaala Aden Abdi, emphasizing the urgent need to end child marriage in the country.

Additionally, the Enkakenya Centre for Excellence in Kilgoris has been teaching Maasai girls self-defense techniques to protect themselves from sexual abuse and early marriage. The center provides a safe haven and free high school education for girls at risk, aiming to break the cycle of poverty and cultural norms that pressure girls into early marriage.