MOUSSORO, BAHR EL-GAZAL PROVINCE, Chad – In Moussoro, the national SWEDD+ campaign ‘Together for Her’ brought together authorities, community leaders and adolescent girls around a common goal: to remove the barriers that still keep too many girls out of school and to strengthen their protection against violence and early marriage. Supported by the SWEDD+ project, funded by the World Bank with technical assistance from UNFPA, the campaign aims to create a more favourable environment for girls' education and women's empowerment.

In this province, social pressures, economic vulnerabilities and the risk of violence, including early marriage, continue to undermine the progress of adolescent girls. The launch of ‘Together for Her’ is part of a regional strategy deployed in Chad to transform the social and gender norms that limit girls' access to education and protection.

Mobilising communities to remove barriers to girls' education

At the heart of the activities, a conference-debate provided a space for direct exchange between administrative authorities, traditional and religious leaders, community actors and young girls. By placing real-life experiences at the centre of the discussion, the meeting made it possible to identify persistent barriers and strengthen commitments to keeping girls in school.

To translate these commitments into action, an information and capacity-building workshop was launched for administrative authorities and traditional, religious and community leaders, in the presence of the Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of Women and Early Childhood Protection. The initiative aims to equip 137 local officials and community leaders to prevent and better respond to gender-based violence in SWEDD+ intervention areas.

Field actions that are already producing concrete results

In the field, a visit to a community Safe Space illustrated how much a protected place can change things for a teenage girl, especially for those who are not or are no longer in school. In Bahr El-Gazal, 40 Safe Spaces already support nearly 2,000 girls, thanks to the commitment of 40 community mentors. These spaces enable them to learn, express themselves and strengthen their knowledge of health, rights, leadership and economic empowerment.

The campaign also featured awareness-raising sessions on the fight against early marriage, highlighting the urgent need to protect adolescent girls and secure their education. During the official ceremony, the Minister Delegate to the Ministry of Finance, Budget, Economy, Planning and International Cooperation, Ms Fatima Acyl Haram, called for collective action to remove the social and economic barriers that hinder the development of girls and women. The ceremony concluded with the presentation of awards to the best female high school graduates supported by the project.

Representing the UNFPA Regional Director for West and Central Africa, the Acting Director of the SWEDD+ Regional Technical Secretariat, Dr Edwige Adekambi Domingo, praised Chad's leadership as the first country to launch the campaign at the national level. She recalled that the SWEDD project, supported for ten years by the World Bank and UNFPA, contributes to consolidating solid actions for the empowerment of girls and women.

On the sidelines of the launch, a visit to the maternity ward and operating theatre of the Moussoro Provincial Hospital, fully equipped thanks to funding from UNFPA Chad, served as a reminder that a comprehensive response also requires accessible, quality health services, particularly for maternal and reproductive health.

The next step will be to maintain momentum beyond the ceremony: sustained commitment by local leaders to preventing and responding to violence against women and girls, strengthening adolescent girls' access to Safe Spaces, and continuing dialogue with communities so that every girl can grow up safely and continue her education.