In alignment to the framework of the AU Ending Child Marriage Campaign, the child participation guidelines seek to create platforms and define structures and strategies that safely and actively engage children in learning, gaining a stronger understanding of their rights and forming key actions for their protection against harmful traditional practices especially child marriage.
The guidelines also seek to highlight provisions for the creation of a space where children’s views on how to end child marriage are generated, documented and disseminated for adaptation as key drivers to the ongoing member state, partner and African Union strategies for ending marriage.
Specific objectives
To create a safe, interactive and regular online and physical interface that is well coordinated to effectively engage young boys and girls representing each member state of the African Union on discussions pertaining the End Child Marriage Campaign including what their views are, risk factors that predispose them, strategies they can lead for risk reduction and the support they need to lead campaign activities in their communities.
To provide a multisectoral interactive online and face to face platforms that allow for capacity building, knowledge transfer and awareness raising for boys and girls on the African continent on the protection of their rights against child marriage and their specific role in ensuring their protection.
To create at space that stimulates key child led discussions that engage and advocate for specific actions and support from African Union divisions, partners, members states and stakeholders on the incorporation of child generated End Child Marriage strategies in all current campaign activities.
To capture, document and widely disseminate key deliberations and perspectives on what African children are asking key stakeholders for to End Child Marriages. These will be compiled as case studies, best practices, lessons and recommendations which can generate learning and scale up of child generated and led ECM campaign strategies.