Girls Not Brides

Girls Not Brides
source
Name	Girls Not Brides
Formation	2011
Type	International non-governmental organization
Headquarters	London, United Kingdom
Region served	Global

Girls Not Brides is an international partnership of civil society organisations dedicated to ending child marriage and enabling girls to fulfil their potential. Founded in 2011, the organisation works with a wide network of partners, collaborates with multilateral institutions, and engages with national and local actors to influence policy and practice across regions including Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Its activities span advocacy, knowledge-sharing, capacity-building, and coalition-building with a focus on survivors, frontline activists, and policy-makers.

History

Girls Not Brides originated in the context of heightened global attention to child rights and gender equality during the early 2010s, following initiatives and conferences hosted by institutions such as the United Nations, UNICEF, UNFPA, and civil society coalitions like Oxfam and Plan International. Its formation drew on advocacy legacies from organisations including CARE International, Save the Children, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and networks of grassroots groups active in countries such as India, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Nepal. Early milestones included participation in discussions linked to the United Nations General Assembly, engagement with the Sustainable Development Goals framework, and contributions to regional policy dialogues convened by bodies like the African Union and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. Over time, the partnership expanded through alliances with national NGOs, university research centres, and philanthropic actors such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Mission and Objectives

The organisation’s stated mission centers on ending child marriage and promoting girls’ rights, intersecting with agendas advanced by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and policy frameworks championed by the World Health Organization, UN Women, and UNICEF. Objectives include influencing legislation in parliaments such as the Parliament of the United Kingdom and legislative bodies in countries like Kenya and India, strengthening service provision aligned with guidelines from the World Bank and International Labour Organization, and ensuring accountability mechanisms within donor institutions such as the European Commission and bilateral agencies like USAID.

Structure and Membership

The partnership model features a secretariat based in London and a distributed network of member organisations across continents, including national coalitions in Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Guatemala, Mozambique, and Indonesia. Members comprise international NGOs, community-based groups, and research institutes such as Harvard University centres, regional think tanks, and advocacy organisations like Equality Now and Girls Inc.. Governing arrangements involve boards, advisory committees, and working groups that interface with international fora including the UN Human Rights Council and the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. Strategic partners have included academic partners at institutions like University of Oxford and University of Cape Town.

Campaigns and Advocacy

Campaign work spans global campaigns timed around events such as the International Day of the Girl Child, the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, and major conferences like the World Economic Forum annual meeting. Advocacy tactics range from policy briefs circulated to the European Parliament and national cabinets to grassroots mobilisations in districts within Nepal and Yemen. The partnership has produced research and policy recommendations referencing findings from entities such as UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank, Human Rights Watch, and academic networks at Columbia University and University College London.

Programs and Partnerships

Programmatic work involves capacity-building, evidence generation, and pilot interventions implemented with partners including Save the Children, Plan International, national ministries such as the Ministry of Health (Ethiopia), and regional bodies including the Economic Community of West African States. Collaborations with funders and implementers include foundations like the Ford Foundation, humanitarian actors such as International Rescue Committee, and research collaborations with institutes at Johns Hopkins University and London School of Economics. The partnership has engaged media outlets and cultural partners, working with advocates linked to campaigns seen in contexts from Rwanda to Peru.

Funding and Governance

Funding sources have included philanthropic foundations, bilateral donors, and institutional grants from entities such as the European Union, Department for International Development (UK), Gates Foundation, and other charitable trusts. Governance comprises a secretariat leadership team, a board with representatives from member organisations and experts drawn from institutions like Amnesty International and academic partners at Stanford University. Financial oversight aligns with standards used by international NGOs and multilateral partners including UNICEF and the World Bank.

Impact and Criticism

Impact assessments cite contributions to legal reform campaigns in countries such as Bangladesh, Malawi, and Ethiopia, enhanced visibility at UN processes, and strengthened capacities of local partners and survivor networks. Independent evaluations and academic studies from universities such as Oxford and Harvard have been used to measure shifts in practice and policy, though attribution challenges persist given the multi-stakeholder landscape involving actors like UNFPA and WHO. Criticism has arisen around the partnership model’s representativeness, the balance between international and local leadership, and questions about monitoring and evaluation standards, raised in policy debates in forums such as the Human Rights Council and by commentators associated with think tanks like Chatham House and Brookings Institution.

Category:International non-governmental organizations