Learning Brief #3: Campaigning and advocacy to prevent and end child marriage

Oxfam's "Creating spaces to take action on violence against women and girls" project (2016-2021) aims to reduce violence against women and girls (VAWG), including the prevalence of child, early and forced marriage (CEFM) in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, and the Philippines. The project is implemented by local partner organisations, with support from Oxfam country offices and Oxfam Canada.

Following the socio-ecological model on violence prevention, the Creating Spaces project applied a multi-pronged, multi-stakeholder approach, at the individual, household, community and societal/institutional levels, to ignite change and prevent VAWG and CEFM. Since 2016, Oxfam and partners led and supported several broad-based campaigning and advocacy efforts to both prevent and end VAWG and CEFM.

This document shares lessons learned on effective campaigning and advocacy strategies that have the power to influence policy and legislative changes to prohibit CEFM, drawing on the historical victories achieved in Indonesia and The Philippines.