'Child marriages to cost Uganda sh9 trillion by 2030'

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Civil society actors have raised the alarm that 8.9 million girls aged ten to nineteen years face the threat of harmful practices, including child marriage, unless urgent action is taken.

Child marriage is any formal union in which one or both parties are under eighteen years of age.

“By 2030, if we don’t address child marriage and associated child births, Uganda will lose an estimated $2.4 billion (equivalent to Sh9 trillion) on providing health care to the girls and the children they give birth to,” Julius Lwanyaaga, one of the facilitators warned.  

Lwanyaaga sounded this warning on Thursday, August 28, 2025, on day two of a three-day transformative training for media practitioners at the Child Welfare Guest House in Kamwokya, Kampala.

The training brought together journalists from traditional print and electronic platforms to strengthen the media’s role in holding perpetrators accountable and advancing justice for survivors and victims.

The event was organised by the Centre for Domestic Violence Prevention (CEDOVIP), a Ugandan non-governmental organisation dedicated to preventing violence against women and girls (VAWG).

FGM practices

According to Lwanyaaga, some harmful practices directly fuel child marriages, such as the widely condemned Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), which remains prevalent in parts of eastern Uganda. FGM involves the partial or total removal of the female external genitalia.

A January report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicates that more than 230 million girls and women alive today have undergone this harmful rite of passage across 30 countries in Africa and the Middle East.

Adding that previous studies have linked child marriage to rising cases of teenage pregnancies. Another study by UNFPA shows that in 2020 alone, teenage pregnancies linked to child marriages cost families Sh1.28 trillion,” Lwanyaaga cited.

Ministry of Health (MOH), trends in teenage pregnancy reveal alarming figures: 343,655 cases in 2017, 365,530 in 2018, 358,014 in 2019 and 354,736 in 2020.

These statistics were based on antenatal care visits by adolescent girls aged 15 to 19. However, given that many in this age group shy away from such services, the actual numbers are likely much higher.  “According to a UNFPA study, in 2020 alone, teenage pregnancies linked to early marriages cost families sh1.28 trillion ……...,” he explained.

School as strategy

While early teenage sex has been linked to teenage pregnancy and child marriages, it remains unclear what strategies can effectively curb these issues.

“One way we can delay early marriages is by keeping children in school. The results show that children who attend school are far less likely to be involved in early marriages. This is partly because they are supported by social networks that offer guidance and protection,” Lwanyaaga elaborated.

Adding that using school as a protective measure not only strengthens girls’ reasoning but also reduces their exposure to risk factors.

Media’s role

In her opinion, Peninah Suzan Igaga, a Gender-Based Violence (GBV) legal consultant, thinks that the media plays a critical role in raising public awareness.

However, she cautioned that journalists must remain mindful of the Data Protection and privacy laws.  Also, they must take care to protect the identities of their subjects when a matter is sensitive.

Citing the Data Protection and Privacy Act 2019, which includes provisions for the ‘right to be forgotten’. Where data subjects can request for the correction, removal or deletion of their personal data on account that it is inaccurate or misleading.

Legal regime

Children’s rights in Uganda are protected by several laws, including the Children Act (2016), the Constitution, the Domestic Violence Act (2020), the Prevention of Torture Act (2012), the Trafficking in Persons Act (2009), and the Penal Code Act.

“Have you heard of the Domestic Violence Act (2020)? Previously, only the victim, survivor, or police could report abuse in a home. Now, the law has been expanded. Your nanny can report you. If you beat a child and the nanny feels it is excessive, they can step in. Even neighbours, local leaders like LCs, and any concerned party can now report such incidents,” Igaga illustrated.

UPPA speaks out

All said and done, Uganda Parliamentary Press Association (UPPA) President Sam Ibanda Mugabi emphasised that such trainings are crucial for deepening journalists’ understanding of critical yet often neglected issues.

“We believe that information is power, and once partners volunteer, we treat this importantly. We believe that we should be able to provide our audiences with balanced and factual information,” said Ibanda.

Adding that while the training comes at a critical juncture when preparations for the oncoming 2026 general elections is in full gear, it is worth the sacrifice.