Empowering girls, boys, youth and women to learn and lead.
Welcome to Girl Child Network
We recognise that girls, boys, youth and women in Kenya face social, cultural, institutional and systemic barriers to their rights. These include child marriage, poverty, child labour, female genital cutting/mutilation, gender-based violence and lack of information on sexual reproductive health and rights. As a rights-based organization, we remain committed to working with the hard to reach and marginalized girls, boys, youth and women in communities to enhance their quality of life.
We partner with National and County Governments, development partners, public and private partners, membership organizations and other like-minded organizations and communities to realize the Global Goals related to children and youth.
Our programs target vulnerable and marginalized girls, boys, youth, women and men for inclusive development, quality education, good health and sustainable livelihoods.
We advocate for inclusive laws and policies protecting girls, boys, women and men to enhance their participation.
Our Vision
A society that upholds and respects the rights of children and young people, as Human Rights.
Our Mission
To protect and promote the rights of girls, boys and youth in Africa through advocacy, research, networking and enhancement of community participation.
Our Awards
Before her 18th Birthday, one in every four girls in Kenya is already Married.
In many parts of Kenya, before girls are married, they are supposed to undergo “female circumcision,” otherwise known as female genital mutilation. This dangerous procedure can lead to immediate infections and can later cause problems with childbirth.
Early marriage means that the girls are more likely to become HIV positive. A study in one region of Kenya showed that 33% of married girls were HIV positive, compared to 22% of sexually active unmarried girls.
But when a girl finishes Secondary School, she is 6x less likely to marry young.
Education is one of the most effective ways to combat child marriage and the high rates of HIV that accompany it. When girls stay in school, they avoid the economic and health risks of getting married early.
A girl with an extra year of education can earn 20% more as an adult, and educated mothers are more than twice as likely to send their children to school as compared to uneducated mothers.
But education doesn’t stop with girls. Parents, school leaders, community leaders and teachers also need to be educated on the benefits of enrolling and retaining girls in school. We work with them to build school communities that include everyone from girls to orphans and even children with disabilities.
30 Years of Progress:
Improving Education, Championing Disability Inclusion, and Tackling Climate Change.
We have also trained 27,141 community members to advocate for better access to education for girls and other marginalized children. We’ve established 815 Rights of the Child Clubs, which empower students to stand up for their own rights.
We have constructed over 250 toilet blocks and installed over 150 water tanks, improving students’ sanitation at school. In addition to this, we have also supported the renovation and equipping of over 10 Educational Assessment and Resource Centres which facilitate in timely identification, assessment, placement and referral for children with disabilities.
Towards fostering environmentally and inclusive sustainable development through climate action, we have engaged youth in Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps and host communities in four climate action which include Tree Planting, Green Agriculture, Renewable Energy and Waste Management. Over 900,000 trees and counting have been planted acting as carbon sinkers contributing to sequestration. Waste are being reused, recycled and reduced to make briquettes as an alternative source of fuel reducing deforestation brought about by demand for firewood. Also, organic manure is being processed and used in school gardens and growing of trees. Energy saving jikos are being made transitioning communities from the traditional 3-stone method that wastes fuel (firewood). To improve eco-diversity of plant species, apiculture (bee keeping) is being embraced, and we are targeting over 8,000 beehives set up in refugee and host communities.
Our interventions seek to:
Improve access and participation in Education for girls, boys and youth
Enhance health status of children and youth in communities
Empower the society to promote and uphold human rights
The Numbers Speak
Latest Videos
