Save the Children Launched a report on: Ending Child Marriage in West Africa

On Monday 25^th January 2021, Save the Children  launched a report on: ‘Ending Child Marriage in West Africa: Enhancing policy implementation and budgeting, Sierra Leone and Niger’ (FR and ENG). The report builds on from the 2017 High Level Meeting on Ending Child Marriage (ECM) in Senegal and reviews how highest level Government commitments have led to policy and budget changes on ECM, in two countries where national ECM strategies are in place (Sierra Leone and Niger). 

The focus for the budget analysis is centered around the budget cycles of three key related sector ministries: the ministry in charge of gender and child protection, the ministry of education, and the ministry of public health.  

In both countries we have seen some important steps in policy change including the revision of the Sexual Offences Act in Sierra Leone and Niger’s decree to keep all children in school until the age of 16. 

When it comes to budget commitments, today in Niger, less than 1 percent of the overall budget has been allocated to Ending Child marriage, while by contrast, in Sierra Leone ECM funding represented 3.7% of the national budget, the equivalent of $7.80 per child in 2020. 

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