Led by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Start Free, Stay Free, AIDS Free brings together a coalition of partners to build on the tremendous progress achieved under the Global Plan towards the Elimination of New HIV Infections among Children by 2015 and Keeping their Mothers Alive (Global Plan).

Click here to download a list of scheduled events by the Three Frees Partners at the International AIDS Conference.

About the Award

In East and Southern Africa, 35% of women are married before age 18. Globally, over 650 million women alive today were married as children. Child marriage is rooted in gender inequality and is exacerbated by poverty, insecurity and conflict.

Launched in 2018, RIATT-ESA in partnership with the the African Union and with support from Media Monitoring Africa, launched an award for journalists reporting on Child Marriage. The award was developed in support the African Union Campaign to End Child Marriage Campaign, in an effort to enhance the promotion and protection of the rights of girls and women in Africa. The primary objective of the Award is to promote reporting of child marriage issues; hence raising public awareness, understanding and galvanizing action against child marriage.

The first awards were handed out in 2019 during the during the 3rd STC & SDLE of the African Union.