The biggest AIDS conference in Africa, ICASA 2017, is taking place from the 4th to the 9th December, 2017 Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Under the theme “Africa: Ending AIDS-delivering differently”.

RIATT-ESA in partnership with Save the Children and REPSSI are co-hosting a Youth Networking Stand at the community village, booth number 11. RIATT-ESA partners are bringing together youth from 8 different eastern and southern African countries to attend the conference, lead discussions around key issues and for capacity building of these young advocates.

Click here to download a roadmap of children and youth at the 19th ICASA in Abidjan. This road map highlights some of the the youth discussions that will take place "the Youth Stand" ,

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.