Through the Sahel Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend Project (SWEDD), a lot of women and girls across West Africa have been engaged in vocational training in Chad.
SWEDD’s project has been strengthening girls’ education, increasing access to reproductive health services, and engaging communities on issues, including child marriage, human rights, and gender equality.
A beneficiary of the project in Chad, Adouia Brema, shared her story of how she was forced to leave school and get married at age 13. But with the help of SWEDD, she is now an electrician.
‘Before, I depended on my husband. But today, we make a profit from each installation. Ever since I learned how to do a paid job, I’ve wanted my sisters to follow my example. If they learn skills, they will be able to work and earn money, too’, Brema said.
Chad has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, as 67 percent of girls marry before age 18, according to the 2019 State of World Population report. For many child brides, marriage means a swift exit from schooling and entry into motherhood.
Recently, the World Bank approved $376 million in additional funds to support the implementation of SWEDD’s phase 2, which brings the World Bank’s overall support to $680 million. In addition to supporting existing initiatives, the new injection of funding helps governments strengthen legal frameworks that support women’s rights to health and education. Parliamentarians, judges, and lawyers have already been consulted for this part of the project.
Source: UNFPA
Photo source: Rod Waddington
