What is
IMAGE Next
Bringing early married girls together to end
child marriage
The Initiatives for Married Adolescent Girls’ Empowerment Next Project (IMAGE Next), is a movement to bring together victims of child marriage, train them on their rights and tools of advocacy so as to make them fight for their entitlements, speak up against injustice and work towards a child marriage free society.The following are the various activities undertaken under the IMAGE Next project :
Movement
Building
Organising girls into a movement, sensitising and capacity building, movement strengthening, mobilising support.
Married adolescent girls and older women who are child marriage victims are gathered together and encouraged to be a part of the movement, their capacities are built and the goals are laid out.
The Civil Society Organisations and Community Based organisations (CBO’s) are involved as a network in protecting the rights and best interest of married adolescent girls and survivors of early marriages.
Membership Drive Campaigns is the process of identifying and registering the victims of child marriage under the project to promote their rights and fight against child marriage.
The project maps Civil Society Organisations who can be a part of the movement in order to provide support. The national and regional CSO’s frequently attend networking meetings where they promote the movement and its objective.
Leadership Development
Identifying and nurturing the early married girls and survivors from the movement with leadership skills.
Among the girls, leaders are identified and nurtured to help take the movement forward and give it a necessary direction. In 2020, 335 district and block level leaders were identified.
The Leadership trainings enhance girls’ skills, abilities and qualities so as to make them effective leaders. Through the project, the young leaders evolve both life skills and leadership skills for their growth and personality development.
Consultation with Civil Society Organisations to provide support in capacity building of the movement leaders.
Movement leaders are provided with IEC material to teach them life skills, enhance their leadership skills and serve as guides for their growth.
Norms and Behaviour Changes
Educate the men and boys towards addressing the innate gender-based discrimination
Community awareness campaigns are organised to make people aware on the ill effects of child marriage, child rights and child protection.
Sensitisation events are organised where communities are sensitised on the implications of child marriage on a girls’ life and the need to support the girls’ development.
Support is sought from Community Based Organisations (CBOs) to strengthen the movement, expand its outreach and enhance its impact.
The project organises workshops with men and boys to sensitise them on the need to support girl and women empowerment, along with addressing the innate gender-based discrimination.
Engagement with the
Government
Providing a platform to interface with Government officials
Meetings are organised with the Government where the girls are given a platform to express their concerns, and ascertain their rights and entitlements.
Workshops are organised with Government officials where they are sensitised on the issues of child marriage victims. These sessions help in initiating action from the government.
Where We Work
15,797 Early Married Girls and Survivors, in 15 districts of Karnataka, India
We work in 621 villages across 15 vulnerable districts of Karnataka where child marriage is prevalent. As per the NCPCR report of 2018, Karnataka accounts for 23% of India’s child marriages.
Story
“In the sensitisation workshops conducted by the movement, I learnt about child rights and child protection laws.
In these workshops, I got to know that there are so many other early married girls like me going through tough issues.
I was then asked to give a presentation on my learnings during the workshop.
I was complimented on my communication skills and confidence. This is how I was elected as a Movement Leader
Now, I have a responsibility to build a child marriage free society. I believe in the power of unity to fight against this issue. I will build a strong movement against child marriages with the support of girls like me.”
2021
Key Achievements
Our Results
Impact
Victims become change agents
Promotion of
gender equality
Girls develop
life skills
Shared Goal
Girls access
government and legal services
Issues of child marriage given attention
What our community says!
