Brave Girls Festival: Yumbe school girls break silence on GBV, child marriage

What the report says

Girls in Yumbe District, northern Uganda, used the Brave Girls Festival to speak publicly about gender-based violence, child marriage, sexual violence, and other pressures affecting their lives, according to The Independent Uganda. The event took place at Boma Grounds on 28 September 2026 and was organized under the Protect SRHR Project by a group of partners including the International Rescue Committee, World Vision, Reach A Hand Africa, and Humanity Inclusion, with support from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

One of the most detailed testimonies came from Ayola Susan, a 16-year-old Primary Six pupil at Yumbe Primary School, who described domestic violence in her home, her parents’ separation, and a period when she left school because fees were not being paid. The report says she later found work washing utensils at a hotel before a teacher intervened and helped her return to school. Other girls in the audience also shared similar experiences, and organizers said the festival was meant to create a space where girls could speak and local solutions could be discussed.

Speakers at the event linked the problem to household, community, and institutional factors. Project coordinator Kinawa Modest said the initiative brought together parents and cultural leaders to address the issue. District officials called for more funding for awareness campaigns, while a government representative urged families to keep girls in school as a way to reduce child marriage. A health worker also pointed to barriers such as delayed care, transport problems, and teenage pregnancy, and called for better adolescent sexual and reproductive health services. The report adds that Yumbe has faced high rates of teenage pregnancy, especially during the COVID-19 period.