Girl Child Empowerment

According to the research conducted by United Nations Girl Education initiative, almost 50% of the girls between the ages of 15-24 are illiterate and four in five girls do not attend high school.

Additionally, 40% of girls in Uganda are married before the age of 18 & 10% of these are married before the age of 15. Around 35% of these girls drop out due to marriage & 23% drop out due to pregnancy.

Early Marriages in girls

The major causes of these are socio-economic factors and increasing poverty in different regions where some engage in sexual relationships in exchange for material and petty gifts & presents.

What PJA has done.

In order to reverse the above trend, PRINCE JOSEPH ACADEMY has partnered with several organizations to give a helping hand to the girl child to allow girls continue through secondary education as this significantly shall reduce the chances of early marriage & child bearing.

While at school, a lot of efforts are put in guidance and counseling of these peers engaging them in productive work, Girl child talks about reproductive and menstrual health are also conducted to help them realize their full potential and acknowledge the fact that they have a big role to play in transforming their lives.

NOTE: Although the focus is on communities preventing child marriage, young girls who have already married also need support. As well as being isolated and having less chance to complete or continue their education, child marriage can put young girls at a higher risk of violence in the home- sexually, physically and psychologically.