A/HRC/41/19 increased acceptance of gender equality norms by all. 35 Save the Children noted that, in Bangladesh, community-based discussion groups about gender and sexual and genderbased violence have reportedly helped men and boys to change their attitudes on dowries and child marriage. 44. Furthermore, a combination of empowering young girls, mobilizing families and communities and scaling up access to response services addressing the needs of married girls is required. Save the Children reported on a project run in the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, where a holistic, multi-thematic approach has been adopted, addressing issues such as education, child poverty and livelihoods for children, families and caregivers and raising awareness through education and child-led community projects addressing child, early and forced marriage. In Algadaref State in the Sudan, local youth activism on child, early and forced marriage has been reported.36 45. Community-based mobilization, targeted advocacy and awareness-raising activities for men and for community, tribal and religious leaders are also of importance in challenging and changing social norms that support child, early and forced marriage. As an example of the involvement of faith-based organizations, it was reported that, in the coastal areas of Kenya affected by al-Shabaab, the Catholic Church and the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd contributed to a decline in child marriage through awareness-raising and several interventions, including with regard to public areas, water and sanitation and also focusing on food, nutrition and farming to sustain food security in families. 46. As UNAMA highlighted in its submission, radio programmes and arts are important outreach and awareness-raising tools in remote areas. In the Sudan, a puppet-based project was used to inform community leaders, parents and children of the harmful effects of child marriage. Following the show, oaths were taken by community members to keep their village free of child, early and forced marriage. As Graduate Women International mentioned in its submission, a campaign for child marriage-free villages reached almost 200 villages in the Thar desert, and more than 49 villages were reported to be free of child marriage. 5. Strengthening the birth and marriage registration systems, including through the use of digital applications 47. In contexts where the legal requirement of civil registration cannot be implemented properly because of the breakdown of infrastructures, humanitarian actors have adopted measures to make registration accessible to populations in order to fight child, early and forced marriage. In Bangladesh, for example, a digital smartphone application developed by the Government and Plan International has made it possible for marriage registrars, solemnizers and matchmakers to establish the true age of a bride and groom. The application replaces the physical copy of a birth certificate, school leaving certificate or national identity card. In its pilot phase, the system was reported to have helped stop more than 3,700 child marriages. The application takes advantage of the fact that almost 80 per cent of the country’s 160 million people have a smartphone. Although only 20 per cent of the population have access to the Internet, online and offline versions of the app are available, which means that even people in hard-to-reach rural areas will be able to use the technology. Those in other countries are considering following this example. 35 36 Maureen Murphy and others, “Evidence brief: what works to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls in humanitarian settings?”. Liv Tønnessen and Samia al-Nagar, “Interventions for the abandonment of child marriage in Sudan”. 13

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