MEDIA ADVISORY

INVITATION TO THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MEDIA

What:   The AU Campaign to End Child Marriage Community of Practice Launch

The purpose of the community of practice (CoP) is to facilitate Member States skills strengthening and enhance multi-sector stakeholders learning across all regions in Africa towards Ending Child Marriage. The CoP will activate and engage Member States in a forum that will facilitate knowledge exchange, data, innovation and evidence, best practices and lessons learned sharing on Ending Child Marriage across the continent.

This virtual launch will focus on orienting up to 150 Key Stakeholders from Member States and Partners on the rationale, organization and operation of the CoP as an interactive platform for accelerating the implementation of the campaign to End Child Marriage.

Participants of the launch event will be drawn from all the Member States that are implementing the Campaign to End Child Marriage, AU Departments focusing on Children, Civil Society, Academia, Tradition and Religious Institutions, International and UN Agencies among others

When:         19^th April 2022

Time:      From 1400 – 15030HRS EST (EAT)

Where: Register for the Virtual event here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ZgFn458ERtGBOEeMQkuqEA

Who: The African Union Commission (AUC) Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs & Social Development (HHS) - End Harmful Practices Unit.

Why:

Whereas up to 30-member states have launched the campaign to End Child marriages and allocated financial and technical resources towards it, there are numerous challenges in moving the button from the launch to active implementation at all levels including the development of costed plans and effective coordination mechanisms. Additionally, the COVID19 pandemic and its prevention measures have posed a major threat to existing member state gains in ending child marriage and exacerbated already existing vulnerabilities to women and girls, such that there is an anticipated rise of up to 10 million more child marriage cases by the year 2063

However,  the endorsement of the campaign by up to 30 member states and the unique knowledge and learning that emerged from the country level COVID19 emergency and recovery child protection response measures, both  create an opportunity and great incentive for a platform at the continental level that facilitates knowledge exchange, documentation, evidence, best practices and lessons learned sharing among Member States for the success of the campaign .The launch event therefore will generate awareness, interest and subscription to the Campaign to End Child Marriage community of practice, which will in turn support  continental cross learning, capacity building, follow up of country action plans and technical needs assessment, dissemination of key campaign resources and provide a forum for engagement of child representatives in advocacy actions.

Objective of the launch:

The main objective of this launch event is to bring together and orient 150 stakeholders who are actively engaged in Ending Child Marriage interventions at the National and Continental level on the rationale, organization and operation of the CoP as an interactive platform for accelerating the implementation of the campaign to End Child Marriage.

Expected outcomes:

1. Member states, partners and AUC colleagues are made aware and oriented on the Community of practice including its rationale and opportunities for knowledge sharing and learning to accelerate the End Child marriage campaign
2. Participants views are captured and compiled during the launch event and inform the best modalities for operationalising the Community of Practice.
3. The proposed schedule and topics for webinars and learning events is shared with participants and generates interest and commitment to member states and partners to lead specific topics shared.
4. The online community of practice membership portal is launched and gains subscription from both those who will participate in the launch event and beyond.
5. Member states and partners share and have their knowledge products on Ending Child marriage hosted and disseminated on the ECM CoP portal.
6. Knowledge sharing on the campaign to End Child Marriage occurs through the community of practice and drives member state level contextual adaptation of what works.

Media representatives are invited to attend and cover the Launch of the Campaign to End Child Marriage Community of Practice

  For further information, please contact:

1. Gamal Eldin Ahmed A. Karrar | Senior Communication Officer, Information and Communication Directorate | African Union Commission | E-mail:   GamalK@africa-union.org
2. Ms Nena Thundu  | Coordinator , Ending Harmful Practices Unit Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs & Social Development (HHS) | E-mail: thundun@africa-union.org   

Information and Communication Directorate, African Union Commission I E-mail:DIC@africa-union.org
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