Girls Get Equal: Integrated Approach to End CEFM in Rukwa Region (2020-2024)
GGE is funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), implemented by Plan-International and partner organizations (i.e. YES-Tanzania, RUSUDEO, RAFIKI SDO, Challa FDC, and PDF) in Rukwa region to reduce the region’s rate of child marriage and teenage pregnancies from 40%, which is above the national rate of 37% (TDHS-MIS, 2016), to 35% at the end of the project.
The project aimed to achieve five objectives:
- Keeping girls in school.
- Enhancing SRHR knowledge among adolescents.
- Promoting youth economic empowerment.
- Changing social norms and practices that accelerate CEFM.
- And improving child protection mechanisms.
The GGE was primarily targeted to reach 32,167 children, adolescents, and youths aged 10–24 across 152 schools, 116 villages, and 36 wards in three districts of Rukwa (i.e., Sumbawanga, Kalambo, Nkasi DC) and their respective communities.
YES-Tanzania partnered with Plan-International (2020-2024) to tackle the problem and root causes of CEFM by empowering adolescent girls and boys with the necessary SRHR information and skills to enable them to make informed decisions. However, YES-TZ promoted gender equality and social norm change through the champion of change approach/model.
The GGE has come to an end in December 2024, lifted Rukwa with remarkable progress in reducing the rate of child marriage from 29.64% in 2019 to 9.25% in 2023 (TDHS-MIS, 2022), contributing to achieving change as measured and reflected within the project outcome indicators as up to date.
Impact of the project;
- Increased capacity of adolescents in demonstrating SRHR knowledge among adolescents, including CWD, from 27.56% in 2019 to 83.98% in 2024 (Impact assessment, 2024)
- 16,571 adolescents (9595 girls, 6976 boys) were reached, including 338 CWD (176 girls, 162 boys) out of 13352 targeted (124%). However, 5521 (3209 girls, 2312 boys) adolescents and youth were reported to have accessed YFS in the project facilities.
- The dropout rate has gone down from 6.9% in 2019 across 116 primary schools to 0.33% in 2024. And from 6.0% to 0.59% in 36 secondary schools. (Impact Assessment, 2024)
- 784 educational staff (245 F, 539 M) received training on life skills, code of conduct, and inclusive pedagogy up to 2022 in 152 project schools.
- Up to 2024, 7871 (4093 F, 3778 M) parents, government officials, and traditional and religious leaders have participated in trainings on SRHR
- 419 adolescents and youth joined TVET skills reported to sustain different levels of income per month (USD 60 and above)
- 463 members of SRHR coalitions, including religious leaders, traditional leaders, and government officials, are actively supporting the work against CEFM
- Radio transmission reported that more than 700,000 people received awareness-raising on issues related to CEFM (gender equality, children’s rights, and harm of CEFM).
