Zondoma: The National Coalition Against Child Marriage in Burkina Faso (CONAMEB) held a regional awareness forum against child marriage in Gourcy on Friday. Chaired by the High Commissioner of Zondoma, Aboubacar Sidiki Nabé, the activity brought together community leaders from the Northern region. Despite the efforts of the State and its partners, child marriages persist in several localities in our country. It is because of this observation that the National Coalition against Child Marriage in Burkina initiated regional forums with a view to eliminating the phenomenon.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the forum in the Northern region brought together customary and religious leaders and civil society organizations (CSOs) from the provinces of Yatenga, Zondoma, and Passoré. El Hadj Abdoulaye Kindo, the regional coordinator of CONAMEB in the North, stated that the main objective of the activity was to interact with all stakeholders to gain their support and commitment in the fight against child marriag
e, which, he noted, has gained ground in the country due to the security crisis.
At the opening of the proceedings, High Commissioner Aboubacar Sidiki Nabé congratulated the initiators and invited participants to engage in discussions to identify effective strategies against this phenomenon, which, according to official data, affects millions of girls worldwide. He emphasized the importance of providing every child with the opportunity to grow, learn, and thrive in a safe environment, declaring the fight against child marriage not just a duty, but an imperative.
The day’s discussions were marked by two key communications. Adja Cissé from the steering committee presented an overview of CONAMEB, which was created in 2013 and now comprises more than 80 member organizations dedicated to promoting children’s rights and ending child marriage. Her presentation was followed by Momo Ibaranté, a member of the CONAMEB coordination, who discussed the state of child marriage and the actions taken by the State and other
partners to combat it.
The discussions enabled participants to gain a deeper understanding of the causes and consequences of child marriage, as well as potential solutions for its eradication. Imam Oumarou Ouédraogo acknowledged the consistency of legislative provisions with Islamic teachings, noting that marriage is not recommended before the age of 18 for young Muslim girls. Similarly, Kalizèta Guiro from the commune of Bassi committed to raising awareness among her peers about the detrimental effects of child marriage on the health and development of young girls, and by extension, the development of the country.
Expressing satisfaction with the level of participation, the president of the forum urged participants to remain engaged in actions aimed at protecting children. As a reminder, the code of persons and family in force in Burkina Faso sets the official age of marriage at 17 years for girls and 20 years for boys. This forum was made possible with the technical and financial support of UNICEF.