ICRW Experts to Present Findings at the UK Girl Summit on Ending Child Marriage and FGM

Article Date

17 July 2014

Media Contact

Anne McPherson

Vice President, Global Communications email [email protected]

On July 22, UK Prime Minister David Cameron and UNICEF will host the first Girl Summit, to mobilize domestic and international efforts to end female genital mutilation (FGM) and child, early and forced marriage (CEFM).

Millions of girls and women around the world are affected by harmful practices such as FGM and CEFM, denying their right to a life free from violence. Noting efforts by international organizations to end these practices, the Girl Summit aims to build momentum and accelerate efforts to end FGM and CEFM within a generation.

Several ICRW experts have been invited by the British government to participate in various consultations and discussions at the Girl Summit, including: Suzanne Petroni, Senior Director, Gender, Population and Development; Priya Nanda, Group Director, Reproductive Health and Economic Development; and Ravi Verma, Director, Asia Regional Office.

Petroni, Nanda and Verma will bring to these consultations evidence from ICRW’s long experience in preventing and ending the harmful practice of child marriage and shifting gender norms to build more gender-equitable views. Specifically, ICRW experts will highlight findings from the organization’s ongoing evaluation of a state government conditional cash transfer program to delay girls’ age of marriage and enhance the value of girls in India. They will also share ways in which ICRW’s Gender Equity Movement in Schools (GEMS) program, now operating in several Asian countries, demonstrates that school-based programs can be highly effective in shifting young people’s attitudes and behaviors, and building more gender-equitable views.

ICRW is co-sponsoring a reception alongside the Girl Summit to highlight the Girl Declaration and the importance of adolescent girls in the post-2015 development agenda, along with the Nike Foundation, Girl Effect, CARE, Plan, United Nations Foundation, and Girls Not Brides Global.

Also on July 22, in conjunction with the UK Girl Summit, the Center for Global Development, British Embassy, Girls Not Brides USA, and Coalition for Adolescent Girls will host a satellite event in Washington, D.C., with U.S.-based experts, advocates and U.S. government representatives. Participants at the event will discuss the two Summit themes – “Sharing What Works” and “Agreeing an Agenda for Change.” ICRW’s Ann Warner, Senior Gender and Youth Specialist, will speak at the first session, presenting ICRW’s recent policy brief highlighting five evidence-based strategies identified by ICRW to delay or prevent child marriage.

Register for the DC Girl Summit event here.

For media inquiries, please contact Iba Reller at [email protected]/202.742.1252.

Take a stand against two of the BIGGEST challenges faced by girls today! Pledge your support to help end child & forced marriage and female genital mutilation. #GirlSummit #EndFGM #EndChildMarriage.

More ways to help? Support ICRW’s work to improve the lives of women and girls around the world through the #OperationGirl Challenge