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Ending Child

Marriage in

Africa

2006

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Tostan’s Mission

To empowerment African communities through a human rights-based basic education program so that they lead their own sustainable development.

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International NGO based in SenegalSpecialized in non-formal educationProgram implemented in over 2,000

communities Mainly funded by Unicef, Senegal

since 1988Program extended to the Sudan,

Burkina Faso, Guinea, Somalia, the Gambia and Mauritania

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HOLISTICHOLISTIC

Comprehensive program -contributes to the overall development of the person as an individual and productive member of society

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LEARNER CENTEREDLEARNER CENTERED

Program actively involves participants through modern and traditional techniques:

theater, games, artwork, song and the sharing of personal experience.

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PARTICIPATORY

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RESPECTFUL

Based on African tradition of respectful consultation of all concerned.

Dialogue, negotiation, and mediation are means to achieving social and economic empowerment.

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Implementation Strategy

• Key to facilitating social transformation on a large scale

• Based on the decision-making process used in Africa: Decisions not made on an individual or family level, but rather involve the entire community as well as other locally connected communities (with ethnic and intra-marrying ties)

• Respects and reinforces this process by using an organized diffusion process for discussing and coming to consensus on issues that involve changing social « norms » or conventions

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Participants learn in class, analyze, debate, do participatory research in the community and come

to consensus around issues relevant to the community.

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Participants share with others through the “Adopt a Learner Strategy” (friend, relative, husband, village

leader). Classes are organized to allow time to assimilate new information, share and discuss.

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Participants share information with others in the village through use of theater, role play, song,

illustrations, games, poetry and flip charts.

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Other specific meetings (involving only religious andtraditional leaders, only youth, only women, etc.) are organized by participants to share new information,

gain support and make decisions.

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Inter-village meetings with all groups are held to share with family, neighbors and other members of the same ethnic or intra-marrying group.

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ABANDONMENT OF CHILD MARRIAGE AND FGC THROUGH PUBLIC

DECLARATION

Since 1997, 1,748 communities in Senegal have abandoned the practice of child marriage and FGC through 21 Public Declarations, representing over 33% of the 5,000 communities that practiced in 1997.

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The Public Declaration: A collective commitment to promote human rights and

the health of girls and women.

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Concrete Participant Actions to End Child Marriage

Communities collectively decide to forbid marriage before the age of 18

Communities have led successful marches to protect girls who were to leave school to be married. Examples: Seme, Polel Diaobe, Ourassogui

• Tostan believes people will make the right decision when given good information.

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Lessons Learned by Tostan• Importance of a holistic basic education program

with subjects of interest to learners.

• Human Rights education key to social transformation.

• All members of the community involved, including religious and traditional leaders.

• Educated participants the best agents for social

mobilization and should lead the movement for social change.

• Positive African traditions reinforced.

• Use of national languages and the oral tradition (poetry, songs, theater, dialogue, etc.).