ESD in Yemen: BHS Project
Promoting the Safe Age of Marriage and Pregnancy

Promoting a Safe Age of Marriage

In August 2008 ESD/BHS started a safe age of marriage program through its local partner the Yemen Woman Union (YWU) in two districts in Amran governorate (Souda and Al-Sood).  The program addresses the socially sanctioned practice of child marriage leading to poor health and social outcomes for young girls. The program aims to:

• Improve community’s knowledge of the social and health consequences of child marriage and change community attitudes toward favoring marriage at a later age
• Strengthen community support for alternatives to child marriage, especially keeping girls in school
• Increase endorsement for delayed marriage by RL and nurse midwives and other community stakeholders

In 2009, a total of 40 community educators will attend a 5-day training workshop to gain knowledge and skills to mobilize their community members to mitigate this problem. To date, these community educators have completed a baseline survey of 400 households to assess their knowledge, attitudes and practices. 

ESD continues to provide TA to strengthen the capacity of the YWU to establish a supportive supervision plan to assist community educators carry out their action plans, and the how this activity is being implemented, including challenges and lessons learned.