Project to end child marriage launched in north-east Cambodia
27 March 2023Plan International Cambodia has launched the 3-year Time to Act project to end child marriage in Ratanakiri and Stung Treng Provinces.
Plan International Cambodia is pleased to announce the kick-off of a new 3-year project called Time to Act funded by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Plan International Germany.
Two start up workshops will be conducted in Ratanakiri and Stung Treng Provinces to share information about the project and seek collaboration from relevant stakeholders.
Time to Act is aiming to support 6,000 adolescent girls and boys to end child, early and forced marriages and successfully transition to adulthood in disadvantaged and remote areas of North-Eastern Cambodia, specifically Ratanak Kiri and Stung Treng Provinces.
Child marriage has dire consequences for girls
According to a baseline study conducted in October 2020 by Plan International Cambodia, the prevalence of child marriage in Ratanak Kiri is 48% of children under 18 and 8% of children under 15, and 25% of children under 18 in Stung Treng province.
“It is a commitment of Plan International Cambodia to ensure that girls are thriving in an enabling environment that allows them to express themselves and be able to live their dreams.”
Gwynneth Wong, Country Director of Plan International Cambodia
Gwynneth Wong, Country Director of Plan International Cambodia says, “Child mariage is a harmful practice and rights issue disproportionately affecting girls. The girls most at risk are often those who come from poor families, marginalised groups or rural areas. Child marriage frequently leads to serious negative consequences, denying millions of girls the opportunity to fulfil their potential around the world.”
Child marriage increases girls’ risks not only to their physical health and teenage pregnancy, but also domestic and gender-based violence, and increased challenges to economic empowerment.
Support for girls and young women
Time to Act will be implemented from the start of 2023 to the end of 2025 alongside local partner organisations Wathnakpheap (WP) and Khmer Youth Association (KYA). It will take place in 16 communes and will support over 8,500 girls and women by improving schools to decrease drop-out rates and prevent girls from entering child marriages. It will also provide skills training and business opportunities for young women who have become child brides.
Additionally, we will work alongside commune level stakeholders to guarantee adolescent girls, boys, young married women and parents can access child and youth-friendly protection services and report any issues.
“It is a commitment of Plan International Cambodia to ensure that girls are thriving in an enabling environment that allows them to express themselves and be able to live their dreams,” said Gwynneth Wong. “Collaborating with the commune authorities and increasing availability of reporting mechanisms near their residences will contribute to decreasing child, early and forced marriages.”
Time to Act is part of Plan International Cambodia’s lifelong learning and protection plus programmes, which are among the key areas of the organisation’s country strategy to empower 2.5 million girls in Cambodia.
We call for concerned stakeholders to join us to support adolescent girls and young women to gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to realise their rights and reach their full potential.
Protection from violence, Sexual and reproductive health and rights, Skills and work, child marriage, Gender-based violence, Vocational training
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