Break Free Alliance-FAWE This programme proposal entitled “Break Free!” is an initiative of Plan International Netherlands, SRHR 
Africa Trust (SAT) and Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) in collaboration with the technical 
partners ‘The Royal Tropical Institute KIT’ and ‘Rozaria Memorial Trust’ (RMT). The aim of the “Break Free!” 
The consortium is for adolescents to exercise their right to live free from Teenage Pregnancy (TP) and Child 
Marriage (CM), is supported by civil society. 
The Break Free! The programme will be implemented in nine countries in Africa as well as at the regional and 
continental levels. There will also be a component in The Netherlands. 
The prevention of CM and TP is more urgent than ever, as the COVID-19 situation has dramatically 
changed the context in which adolescent girls live. Evidence from Plan International Gender Assessments 
have shown the impact of COVID-19 among adolescent girls, including increasing levels of gender-based 
violence; increasing unpaid care work arising from caring for the sick; rising sexual exploitation; exclusion 
from (online) education; and increasing rates of CM and TP. The digital gender divide has further isolated 
and excluded adolescent girls in remote areas from accessing information and health services, especially 
concerning contraception and other essential Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) services. 
Lockdown restrictions and enforcement of COVID-19 prevention methods have led to an increase in sexual 
violence and Female Genital Mutilation/ Cutting (FGM/C), reducing the effectiveness of referral pathways 
for essential services, and resulting in poorer SRH outcomes for girls. The loss of employment and income 
by parents and caregivers is expected to increase girls’ vulnerability to sexual exploitation, resulting in TP
and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), including HIV. This economic downturn will likely have a large 
impact on the poverty levels in low-income countries where CM is most prevalent. Because poverty is a 
key driver of child marriage, these economic impacts are anticipated to increase rates of CM and TP in 
vulnerable communities. At the same time, many girls have been kept from school and will never return, 
leaving them with few options other than CM and TP. 
Previously the total number of girls married each year has been estimated at 12 million1,2 and the number of 
girls aged 12-19 who give birth each year in developing countries at 12,1 million3,4. However, millions more 
cases of violence, CM, unintended pregnancy and FGM/C are expected due to the COVID-19 pandemic5
.
At the same time, progress on the prevention of CM and TP is challenged by conservative forces who 
portray gender equality and women’s autonomy regarding their own body and sexuality as a threat to
traditional and family values. Moreover, conservative forces and authoritarian governments are using the 
COVID-19 crisis as a pretext to limit civic freedoms of association, peaceful assembly and expression, thus 
restricting the civic space The strategic programme objective of adolescents exercising their right to live free from TP and CM, supported by civil society is contributing to the above-defined impact. To achieve this strategic objective, CSOs, youth-led groups and networks will be strengthened to lobby and advocate for improved legislation and implementation to increase girls’ agency and to promote social norm change in favour of the prevention of CM/TP and in some countries FGM/C. Although norm change takes time and the strategic objective is formulated under the ‘sphere of influence over which we do not have complete control, the programme will report the reduced prevalence of CM and TP for groups of girls in the programme locations, by 2025. The following three pathways of change lead toward the strategic programme objective. Outcome 1: Adolescent girls at risk of CM/TP access quality and safe education, Outcome 2: Duty bearers and decision-makers develop, resource and implement laws and policies that respond to adolescents’ needs, and Outcome 3: Adolescents access quality SRHR information, education and services The primary target group of the Break Free programme consists if girls and young women (GYW) aged 10 -24. To effectuate change in the lives of those GYW, the programme engages other stakeholders such as government, CSOs, parents and/or caretakers and the community at large in the 9 focus countries of Break Free!