June 2025 — The African Council of Religious Leaders – Religions for Peace (ACRL-RfP), in collaboration with UNICEF, convened an Interfaith conference to advocate for increased and continued action to end Female Genital Mutilation and Child Marriage across the Eastern and Southern African region. The conference built upon the outcomes of an April 2025 virtual consultation hosted by ACRL-RfP and UNICEF, which identified actionable strategies for empowering communities to reject harmful norms and adopt transformative practices grounded in faith and dignity. In a moment that left a lasting impression, Sheikh Lithome reminded participants that, “Faith is not just about going to heaven. It is also about our actions during our lifetime.”. His words struck at the heart of the interfaith conference’s mission, calling on religious leaders to not only preach but also lead by example in protecting the dignity, rights, and well-being of communities, especially women and children.

A milestone outcome of the event was the endorsement of the Regional Interfaith & Multisectoral Declaration, which outlines a united commitment by faith leaders, civil society, and development partners to end FGM and child marriage across the region. The Declaration, titled “Faith in Action: United for the Dignity, Rights and Protection of Girls" launched on the 16th of June, in celebration of the Day of the African Child, unequivocally denounced these practices as grave violations of children's rights and called for urgent action from governments, religious institutions, and communities.

The two-day, high-level conference in Nairobi brought together religious leaders and institutions from over sixteen countries, representing multiple faiths and academia, government, UN agencies, and civil society to reaffirm a collective regional commitment to protect the rights and dignity of children. The conference aimed to foster evidence-based, faith-led dialogue and strategies that challenge harmful norms and promote survivor-centered prevention and response to FGM and child marriage across the Eastern and Southern Africa region.

The Toll of FGM and Child Marriage on Young Lives

Despite legal reforms, in the region, over 42 girls and women have undergone FGM, and 60 million girls below the age of 18 have been married. These harmful practices, often perpetuated under religious or cultural justifications, continue to infringe on children’s rights, with devastating effects on health, education, and equality.

Call to Action: Voices Against Harmful Practices

“Where law struggles to reach, faith can enter. Where policy is resisted, trust can open hearts. We must use our pulpits, our mosques, our churches, our village gatherings, to transform social norms — to teach that true honor lies in education, health, and protection, not in outdated harmful rituals.” His Eminence Sheikh Shaban Mubaje, Co-Chair, ACRL-RfP

Alison Parker, Deputy Regional Director, UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa, said, “No faith calls for children to suffer pain and no tradition should cost a child her life or dignity. Religious leaders have the power to shape beliefs and transform lives. When they stand united against harmful practices like FGM and child marriage, entire communities listen - and change. UNICEF is proud to stand with them in this critical step forward to ending violence against children across the region.”

The sentiments were also reiterated in the remarks of The Most Reverend Archbishop Albert Chama, “We must be clear, these are not religious obligations. These are social customs, passed down through generations, often out of fear, ignorance, or misunderstanding. Neither the Holy Qur’an nor the Holy Bible supports the cutting of girls or the marrying off, of children. Let us not be afraid to confront harmful traditions. Let us instead reclaim our faith narratives as messages of healing, not harm.

ACRL-RfP and UNICEF ESARO call on stakeholders to amplify these efforts by supporting policies, education, economic alternatives, and the power of interfaith communication to reframe narratives and protect the next generation.

The Conference issued a joint declaration with commitments and call to action by faith leaders and partners, reaffirming that there is NEITHER RELIGIOUS NOR CULTURAL JUSTIFICATION to FGM and Child Marriage practices.