Former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama, global philanthropist Melinda French Gates, and human rights lawyer Amal Clooney have reaffirmed their support for girls’ empowerment programmes in Malawi.
The three were in the southern African country to support the fight against child marriage, advance gender equality and learn how their three organisations can best support grassroots organisations and experts engaged in such work.
According to Girls Not Brides, a global network of organisations working to end child marriage, 650 million girls and women alive today were married as children.
During their time in Malawi, Obama, Gates and Clooney connected with students actively engaged in the Advancing Girls’ Education in Africa (Age Africa) Creating Healthy Approaches to Success programme.
This after-school initiative is designed to empower students, foster academic achievement and impart valuable life skills.
The three also met with human rights champions from groups such as Women Lawyers Association of Malawi and Girls Not Brides Malawi.
“For the past five years, the Girls Opportunity Alliance has been working with leaders on the ground who are changing outcomes for girls in the country—including Ulanda Mtamba and her remarkable team at the Age Africa programme, who are making sure girls can delay early marriage and get the education they deserve.
“Every moment I spend with these leaders reminds me of the power we all have when we come together to make a difference,” Obama, who is founder of Girls Opportunity Alliance, said.
Gates, who is co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said child marriage, like so many other issues, is a symptom of deeper problems such as poverty, a lack of education access and gender inequality.
“But if more leaders invest in programmes that empower women and girls, then we’ll make progress not only on ending child marriage, but on so many other challenges as well,” she said.
On her part, Clooney, co-founder of the Clooney Foundation for Justice, said it was a “privilege to be working alongside inspirational Malawian women in the fight to make child marriage history”.
“Child marriage persists because there are inadequate legal protections for millions of girls across Africa. And even in nations such as Malawi, where child marriage is prohibited, girls cannot access justice.
“That is why the Clooney Foundation for Justice has partnered with the Women Lawyers Association of Malawi to launch mobile legal aid clinics so that girls know their rights and get free access to a lawyer to defend them,” she said.
The Clooney Foundation for Justice was established by Amal and George Clooney to wage justice for human rights by providing free legal support to persecuted communities in over 40 countries around the world.
