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← Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership To End Child Marriage

2024-12-31-accounts

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

Company number: 8570751 Charity number: 1154230

CONTENTS

Legal and Administrative Details ................................................................................................ 1 Introduction to Girls Not Brides ............................................................................................... 2-5 Structure, Governance and Management ............................................................................. 6-11 Message from the Chief Executive Officer ............................................................................... 12 Reflections from the Chair of the Board of Trustees ................................................................ 13 Girls Not Brides’ 2024 Trustees’ Annual Report & Impact Report ....................................... 14-26 Strategic Plans for the Future .............................................................................................. 27-28 Financial Review ................................................................................................................... 29-31 Independent Auditor’s Report ............................................................................................... 32-35 Statement of Financial Activities……………………………………………………………………………………….... 36 Balance Sheet………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 37 Statement of Cash Flow ...................................................................................................................... 38 Notes to the Financial Statements ........................................................................................ 39-50

LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

TO THE MEMBERS OF GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Charity Number: 1154230 Company Number: 8570751 Registered office and: Seventh Floor Operational Address 65 Leadenhall Street London EC3A 2AD United Kingdom Trustees: Dr Alaa Murabit - Chair (from 14 October 2024) Dr Anne T Gallagher (stepped down 31 October 2024) Emma Puig De La Bellacasa Georgia Arnold Michael Feigelson Ramin Shahzamani – Vice Chair (from 12 December 2024) Rita Sarin (stepped down 31 October 2024) Sinéad Donovan – Treasurer (from 30 January 2025) Zipporah Jean Alaroker Chief Executive Officer: Dr Faith Mwangi-Powell Key Management Personnel: Dr Faith Mwangi-Powell, Chief Executive Officer Akila Lingham, Director of Operations & Finance Rita Soares, Director of Regions, Partnership & Member Engagement Amanda Austin, Director of External Engagement (from Oct 2024) Loraine Stevenson, Director of People and Culture (from Oct 2024) Lara van Kouterik, Acting Director for Learning, Evidence and Impact (from April 2024) Auditors: Sayer Vincent LLP 110 Golden Lane London EC1Y 0TG Bankers: HSBC Bank plc 21 Kings Mall London W6 0QF Solicitors: Bates Wells 10 Queen Street Place London EC4R 1BE

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TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

TO THE MEMBERS OF

GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

INTRODUCTION TO GIRLS NOT BRIDES

The vision of Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage (Girls Not Brides) is a world without child marriage where girls and women enjoy equal status with boys and men and are able to achieve their full potential in all aspects of their lives. We support a comprehensive approach to ending child marriage and addressing the underlying economic and social drivers of child marriage, including harmful gender and social norms that deny girls opportunities and their rights. By taking a holistic approach, we not only contribute to ending child marriage, but also achieve progress across global development goals including health, education, and poverty reduction. Our belief is that addressing child marriage in a holistic and comprehensive manner helps create a safer world for girls and leads to benefits far beyond simply delaying the age of marriage.

About child marriage

Every year, child marriage denies 12 million girls their rights to health, education, safety and control over their own lives. This is equivalent to one in five girls around the world.[1] This human rights violation occurs across cultures, countries and religions. Over 650 million women alive today were married as children, and every minute 23 more girls are married. Rooted in gender inequality and discrimination, child marriage disproportionately affects women and girls in terms of both the number of child brides and the life-long impact.

Ending child marriage is a global commitment enshrined in Target 5.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to “eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilations”. It is also necessary to achieve almost half of the SDGs, including those related to poverty, education, health and inequalities. Before the global pandemic, we saw a decline in child marriage rates globally, but UNICEF estimated that we would see 10 million more child marriages by 2030[2] as a direct consequence of COVID-19, in addition to the 12 million girls already married each year. Beyond COVID-19, climate change, conflict, and the rising cost of living in many parts of the world increase the likelihood of child marriage due to increased insecurity and poverty and weaker social networks. These factors risk rolling back the significant progress we have achieved and increasing the number of girls at risk of child marriage.

Child marriage has many implications for girls, their families and their communities. Girls who are married early are at an increased risk of complications in pregnancy and childbirth, and of domestic violence. With less access to education and economic opportunities, they and their families are more likely to live in poverty. Communities and nations also feel the impact of child marriage. Systems that undervalue the contribution and participation of girls and women limit their own possibilities for growth, stability and transformation. The World Bank and International Center for Research on Women estimate that child marriage costs economies around the world trillions of dollars.

One of the fundamental beliefs of Girls Not Brides is that if we address child marriage in a holistic and comprehensive manner, adolescent girls will be better able to claim their rights and agency and thus transform societies.

1 For more information on child marriage prevalence rates in countries and across regions, please consult our Child Marriage Atlas, which is the only source of consolidated data on the issue of child marriage. It also highlights the numbers of girls affected, the legal/policy situation in each country, and the distribution of Girls Not Brides’ members, National Partnerships and civil society coalitions.

2 UNICEF, 2021, COVID-19: A thread to progress against child marriage.

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TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

TO THE MEMBERS OF GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

Child marriage is a complex issue with no single solution. We must work collectively across sectors – and from the local to the global level – to change the perceptions, norms and experiences that shape and hinder girls’ lives. In 2014, Girls Not Brides worked with 150 members and partners to develop our Theory of Change (revised in 2023). It identifies four strategies to end child marriage: working directly with girls; mobilising families and communities; providing services (including health, education and child protection); and creating and sustaining an enabling legal and policy framework.

Our members and partners work across the four key strategies outlined in the Theory of Change, and the Girls Not Brides secretariat plays a distinctive catalytic role within the movement. We mobilise collective action and support at the national, regional and international levels; support member organisations to build their knowledge, skills and leadership and share their expertise; advocate for financial resources; and synthesise and disseminate learning on ending child marriage. In this role, we create a supportive environment to enable greater change. Over the past decade, Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage has had an exceptional journey of growth and progress. From our beginnings as a group of around 60 individuals in 2011, we have grown into a global partnership with over 1,400 member organisations present in nearly 100 countries. 39 per cent of our members identify as youth-led, 31 per cent as women-led, 41 per cent as communitybased, and 17 per cent as working in humanitarian contexts.

In 2022, Girls Not Brides launched a new Partnership Strategy (2022-2025)[3] and a new Secretariat Strategy (2022-2025)[4] . These strategies were borne out of rich and in-depth conversations with member organisations, leaders, decision-makers, experts and Girls Not Brides staff and revitalised the secretariat’s approach to strengthening our work. In 2024, we reflected on progress and learning as we approached the final year of these strategies and began to consider how to bring these learnings into a revised strategy from 2026.

Abbreviations

3 https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/learning-resources/resource-centre/girls-not-brides-partnership-strategy-2022-2025/

4 https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/learning-resources/resource-centre/secretariat-strategy-2022-2025/

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TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

TO THE MEMBERS OF

GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

Definitions

Child marriage

We use the term “child marriage” to refer to all forms of child, early, and forced marriage and unions where at least one party is under the age of 18. In this, we include all girls and adolescents affected by the practice – whether in formal or informal unions – and acknowledge the culturally-specific understandings of childhood and development, and the complex relationship between age, consent, and force.

The movement to end child marriage

The movement to end child marriage comprises an informal global network of civil society and grassroots organisations, national and international non-governmental organisations (INGOs), activists, academics, United Nations (UN) agencies, funders, governments, leaders and champions – all working towards a world without child marriage where girls can exercise their rights and reach their full potential.

The Girls Not Brides global partnership (the Partnership)

At the end of 2024, the Girls Not Brides partnership comprised over 1400 member organisations in nearly 100 countries committed to working together to end child marriage and support married girls. Girls Not Brides member organisations work across sectors – including health, education, human rights and humanitarian contexts – and range from small grassroots actors to large international organisations.

The Girls Not Brides secretariat

The Partnership is supported by the Girls Not Brides secretariat – a diverse team based in the UK, Guatemala, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Senegal and Uganda. The secretariat plays three broad roles in civil society: a central support and coordination body for the largest global civil society partnership working to end child marriage; a representative of and advocate for civil society on work to end child marriage (including to influence decision-makers and funders at different levels); and an expert, trusted thought leader, on what works to end child marriage and convenor and source of evidence and shared learning.

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TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

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GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

National and State Partnerships and coalitions

Many Girls Not Brides member organisations have come together to accelerate progress to end child marriage in their countries by forming National and State Partnerships and coalitions.

National and State Partnerships are networks of Girls Not Brides member organisations that believe in the power of collective action to end child marriage and ensure girls can reach their full potential. They have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Girls Not Brides secretariat to align their work with the Partnership Strategy.

Coalitions are networks of civil society organisations committed to addressing child marriage and working together at the national level to spearhead change. They are close allies to Girls Not Brides but have not signed an MoU.

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TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

TO THE MEMBERS OF GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Girls Not Brides was incorporated as a company in the United Kingdom (UK) on 14 June 2013 and registered as a charity in England and Wales on 17 October 2013. It transferred its assets and activities from what was once an initiative under The Elders Foundation to the independent entity on 10 December 2013.

Objects

The charity’s objects are all regarded as exclusively charitable under the laws of England and Wales including, but not limited to:

Board of Trustees

As of 31 December 2024, Girls Not Brides was governed by a Board of six (6) Trustees (the Trustees) who are responsible for overseeing the management of all Girls Not Brides’ affairs. The Trustees are selected and elected according to procedures set out in the Articles of Association. The Trustees ensure that all activities fall within the charitable objectives. The Trustees’ main responsibilities are related to administrative and financial governance, management of reserves and investments as well as guiding and overseeing strategy development and planning. In particular, the Trustees are responsible for ensuring the legal and financial compliance of Girls Not Brides , including compliance with the Charity Commission’s guiding principles and charity law.

The Trustees meet regularly throughout the year and act on advice and information provided by the Chief Executive Officer and the senior management of the charity. All Trustees are provided with an individual induction covering all aspects of the Girls Not Brides organisational structure and roles and responsibilities of the Trustees within the organisation, as well as Charity Commission guidance on governance, and the duties of Trustees in the UK. Trustee-specific training courses are organised to ensure that the Board remains compliant with the Charity Commission and up to date on current trends within the non-governmental sector. In 2024, the Board of Trustees revised the two committees, being a Finance, Audit and Risk Committee, and a People and Nominations Committee:

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TO THE MEMBERS OF GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

Dr Anne Gallagher stepped down as Chair in October 2024 after completing one term as Chair of the Board. Rita Sarin also stepped down as trustee after completing one term.

In February 2024, the Board started the process of engaging an executive search agency to recruit new trustees to the Board. By the end of 2024, a new Chair, Dr Alaa Murabit, and Vice Chair, Ramin Shahzamani, were appointed to the Board, with a new Treasurer Sinéad Donovan joining shortly after in January 2025. A search for two additional trustees is currently underway in 2025. This will then bring the number of trustees to nine (9).

In early 2024, as part of streamlining and digitalising the effectiveness of the Boards’ ways of working, the board invested in a new Board App called Convene. This secure portal created a paperless solution to support the trustees to access board papers in real time.

Statement of Trustees’ responsibilities

The Trustees (who are also directors of Girls Not Brides for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ annual report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and UK Accounting Standards (UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for

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TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

TO THE MEMBERS OF GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

In so far as the Trustees are aware:

The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company's website. Legislation in the UK governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Trustees of the charity guarantee to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 to the assets of the charity in the event of winding up. The total number of such guarantees at 31 December 2024 was 6 (2023: 7). The trustees are members of the charity but this entitles them only to voting rights.

The Trustees have no beneficial interest in the charity.

Disclosure of information to auditors

So far as the Trustees are aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the company's auditors are unaware. The Trustees have taken all the steps that they need to as Trustees in order to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the company's auditors are aware of that information.

Auditors

Sayer Vincent LLP have indicated their willingness to continue in office and in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act it is proposed that they be re-appointed auditors for the ensuing year.

Members of Girls Not Brides

The Girls Not Brides secretariat supports the global partnership of member organisations. Membership is open to non-governmental organisations that endorse its mission statement and agree to its membership principles. These organisations are publicly and commonly referred to as “members” (as opposed to the Company Members described above).

Members contribute to the Partnership and engage with one another, as well as with the secretariat, in a variety of ways depending on their interests and capacity. The work and interests of members help define the strategy of Girls Not Brides , and the secretariat requests feedback from them on various issues on a regular basis.

Secretariat

Girls Not Brides’ day-to-day operations are run by its staff based in its London, UK office, with additional individual team members based in Guatemala, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Senegal, and Uganda. In 2024, the secretariat directorates consisted of External Engagement; Operations and Finance; Partnership and Regions; Learning, Evidence, and Impact; and People and

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TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

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Culture, with a Chief Executive Officer overseeing their work. The Chief Executive Officer reports to the Trustees. The Trustees delegate the day-to-day running of the organisation to the Chief Executive Officer.

Principal risks and uncertainties

The organisation’s approach to risk management includes reviewing the organisational risk register, with oversight from the Board of Trustees and input from all senior staff and updating risk management guidance for staff. Girls Not Brides views risk management as a continuous process that must be considered at the forefront of all activities by all staff members.

During 2024, the risks in the register were updated although some areas remained the same as the previous year. The Trustees were satisfied with the controls and procedures the secretariat had in place. The Trustees were also satisfied with progress in monitoring and mitigating previously identified potential risks, including financial risks related to its ability to raise sufficient funds, the impact of currency fluctuations, inflation, the increased cost of living, and management risks.

The change in the geopolitical landscape, including risks to civic space, the targeting of actors focused on equality and gender, and decreased international development funding, all increase the vulnerability and risk faced by our partners and members, especially those with a primary focus on protecting the rights of women and girls. A recent UN Women report highlighted that nearly half of all women-led local organisations operating in conflict and crisis affected settings were facing closure within 6 months due to funding constraints, with many already having reduced staff and operations.[1] Wider impacts on the sector, including Girls Not Brides, are being monitored carefully and require continual intelligence-gathering, innovation, and sensitivity to the realities faced by Girls Not Brides members and partners.

These risks are highlighted with the Trustees of the sub-committees and raised with the Board.

The risk register is classified into six categories (external engagement, finance and due diligence, fundraising, governance and leadership, operations, grant management, partnership and people and culture) that are further defined into specific potential risk elements. Within this, significant risks are identified and summarised. This includes the following risks and mitigation strategies:

1 https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2025/05/at-a-breaking-point-the-impact-of-foreign-aid-cutson-womens-organizations-in-humanitarian-crises-worldwide

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TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

TO THE MEMBERS OF GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

Safeguarding and serious incidents

During the year, Girls Not Brides continued to its efforts in ensuring high standards of safeguarding, monitoring, and training of all relevant persons across the globe. Revisions to the Safeguarding Policy were completed in February 2024 and rolled out to team members through its annual training. Additional safeguarding checks were strengthened with its due diligence for grant making.

The charity maintains its zero-tolerance policy towards abuse or other forms of serious misconduct and sets clear standards and expectations around members’ behaviour in our international Code of Conduct. All employees and other representatives are required to take part in both induction and recurring annual training on safeguarding and associated policies and controls (through webinars, face-to-face discussions, and consultations).

The Trustees are cognisant of their obligations to report the most serious misconduct or abuse to relevant authorities in the UK and other countries of operation, in particular the formal requirements for Serious Incident Reporting to the Charity Commission for England and Wales. This obligation is understood across the broader definitions of Serious Incidents in which the Commission would have an interest. There were no Serious Incident Notifications made to the Commission during the period covered by this report

Public benefit

The Trustees’ report sets out Girls Not Brides’ charitable activities contributing to ending child marriage, which we have carried out in line with our charitable objects, being the promotion of equality and human rights, the prevention and relief of poverty, the advancement of health, the advancement of education and the relief of those in need by reason of youth and/or ill health. The Board has considered the issue of public benefit and is confident that Girls Not Brides’ activities comply with the duty in section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission.

Fundraising

Throughout 2024 Girls Not Brides raised funds from committed governments and private trusts and foundations. Funding was predominately unrestricted with a growing number of restricted grants. Fundraising activities were led by our Senior Leadership team and the Development and Outreach Team. We also benefited from the support and expertise of colleagues across the global secretariat and our Board Members.

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TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

TO THE MEMBERS OF GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

Fundraising activities included building a robust pipeline of prospective government and foundation funding, working to submit timely renewals to ensure donor retention, preparing new proposals and concept notes in response to new funding opportunities and meeting the reporting requirements to these donors. The Development and Outreach team led several external facing events to position Girls Not Brides strategically to new and existing donors and maintain positive relationship building. Girls Not Brides’ fundraising activities are reported to and guided by the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee.

During the year under review, Girls Not Brides did not use professional fundraisers or commercial participators and did not actively solicit funds from the general public, including vulnerable people, for the secretariat’s work. We complied with fundraising regulation and codes in 2024 and we did not receive any complaints.

Remuneration policy

Girls Not Brides applies a Global Pay and Benefits policy, which provides the organisation with a framework and principles for pay and benefits for all employees and team members, including how salaries are set, how pay increases are determined, and other pay-related topics.

In line with the values of Girls Not Brides , the new policy aims to provide transparency, equity, and fairness to staff following a ‘Total Reward Approach’, which includes financial and non-financial elements.

Girls Not Brides is guided by the following remuneration principles in line with the standards of Project Fair:

Girls Not Brides reviewed its Global Pay and Benefits policy in 2024, and this was approved by the Board of Trustees in January 2025.

During 2024, Girls Not Brides undertook a salary benchmarking using data provided from the Birches Group. From the findings, incremental changes were implemented in April 2025. The next review will take place in 2028.

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TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

TO THE MEMBERS OF GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

This past year, from Guatemala to Mozambique, I had the privilege of meeting inspiring members and witnessing bold progress, deepened collaboration, and growing momentum to end child, early and forced marriage and unions (CEFMU). But the year was not without its challenges. Together we continued to confront the rise of anti-rights movements, growing economic instability, and a shrinking civic space. Amidst these global headwinds, the need to act collectively has become even more apparent and we appreciate every member, partner and ally who collaborated with us this year.

Girls Not Brides: the Global Partnership to End Child Marriage is the only global partnership solely focused on ending child marriage. With 1,446 members in 94 countries, our role is clear: to strengthen and connect national partnerships, drive policy and funding commitments, and generate and share evidence to guide action. Our work builds and sustains the global, regional and national ecosystems needed to secure lasting change, recognising that child marriage is driven by many interconnected factors and requires a holistic, multi-sectoral response.

Collective power in action : From Nepal to Guatemala, Burkina Faso to Uganda, we supported national and state-level coalitions in 2024, providing strategic, financial and leadership support. These partnerships ensure our continued momentum in driving change towards ending CEFMU, leading collective advocacy, shaping national policies, and mobilising communities for lasting change. In Malawi, we celebrated the launch of a new National Strategy to End Child Marriage, and in Nepal, our National Partnership ensured community voices were included in national policymaking.

A global convenor for change : We continued to play a pivotal convening role, bringing together and working collaboratively with our members and partners - governments, civil society, donors and young leaders. In 2024, we witnessed major funding and political breakthroughs, unlocking millions of dollars to end child marriage and support adolescent girls, while firmly securing child marriage as a priority on government agendas around the world.

A highly effective knowledge hub: By sharing the latest evidence across our membership and with critical partners, we continue to ensure programming, policy, and investment is grounded in the latest learning. In 2024, we filled vital knowledge gaps on ending child marriage in conflict and crisis-affected settings and saw the impact of legal reform.

Girls Not Brides exists to connect the dots, amplifying the voices of those leading change. In a complex, shifting world, we are building the only global partnership dedicated to ending child marriage—and building a future where every girl is safe, educated, and free to decide her own path.

If we are going to end child marriage, we all need to rise and work within our circles of influence to make a better world for girls. The onus is on us. Thank you for standing with us.

Dr Faith Mwangi-Powell Chief Executive Officer

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TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

TO THE MEMBERS OF GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

REFLECTIONS FROM THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

More than 650 million women and girls alive today were married as children. Unless we change course dramatically, another 100 million will be married before 2030, the year the world committed to ending this practice. That number isn’t just staggering. It’s unacceptable. And it demands more from all of us.

Still, I remain hopeful. Not because the problem has gotten smaller—it hasn’t. But because more people are refusing to look away. From grassroots movements to global platforms, we’re seeing the momentum grow. More leaders are recognising that ending child marriage isn’t a niche or side issue; it’s central to achieving justice, economic growth, gender equality, and sustainable development. Girls Not Brides is playing a critical role in making that connection impossible to ignore.

The world has changed, and our approach must continuously evolve with it. The challenges girls face today are more complex, stemming from overlapping crises, growing inequality, shrinking civic space, and the breakneck speed of technological change. The old playbook won’t cut it. As we move into a new chapter, we’re asking ourselves: Are we listening well enough? Are we bold enough in the way we lead, fund, and partner? Are we designing solutions that truly meet the scale of the problem?

This moment calls for more than just incremental progress. It demands imagination, courage, and a willingness to challenge assumptions, especially our own. Our upcoming strategy is an opportunity not just to refine our direction, but to rethink how we lead, what we prioritize, and how we show up in a world that’s changing faster than ever. To centre the girls and communities who have always led the way. To bring in new voices. To speak plainly about the political will and resources this work requires, and to build the partnerships that can make it happen.

This work isn’t theoretical for me. My grandmother was married at 12 and never had the chance to learn to read or write. My mother was married at 15. Their stories shaped mine and remind me why this work is so important. Every girl deserves to choose her future. That should not be revolutionary.

I’m proud to chair a Board that is not afraid to lean into complexity, to listen deeply, and to hold ourselves accountable to the people we exist to serve. A different future is possible; one where every girl is safe, educated, and free. We have the responsibility to build it.

Dr Alaa Murabit, Chair of the Board of Trustees

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TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

TO THE TRUSTEES OF GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

GIRLS NOT BRIDES’ 2024 TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT & IMPACT REPORT

Girls Not Brides achieved strong impact across its 3 pillars of work in 2024: movement-building, influencing, and learning, working to foster powerful collective action to accelerate an end child marriage.

Movement building

Ending child marriage requires collective action. When diverse organisations and local leaders come together, they can drive lasting change for girls. That’s why we strengthen partnerships and build capacity to support members to lead influential national movements. We support civil society partnerships and coalitions through deep, sustained engagement, supporting them to advocate together, shift norms and create community change.

We build and sustain a vibrant, well-equipped global partnership to end child marriage

Girls Not Brides is the world’s largest and only global partnership dedicated solely to ending child marriage. By the end of 2024, we had 1,446 members in 94 countries, with 37 new members joining from women-led, indigenous-led, youth-led and community-based organisations. Our members work across sectors, including health, education, economic livelihoods, violence and justice, ensuring a comprehensive approach to ending child marriage. As of the end of December 2024, 39% of members identified as youth-led, 31% as women-led, 41% as community-based, and 17% as working in humanitarian contexts.

The Girls Not Brides Secretariat is the backbone to this vibrant partnership, coordinating, supporting and sustaining our members to be better connected and equipped to drive change. Our members consistently highlight the value of being part of the global partnership, with our 2024 membership survey revealing that 70% of members surveyed had viewed or read a learning product at least once and, of these, 97% have applied the Girls Not Brides learning product(s) to their work.

“Every meeting or webinar that I've engaged in, Girls Not Brides has become a stepping stone towards making positive impact to our community” – Girls Not Brides member

We invest in and strengthen national networks of civil society organisations who unite to drive change

In 2024, Girls Not Brides provided £738,161 of direct financial grants to National and State Partnerships and coalitions. This dedicated financial support allows civil society organisations to organise, align, and sustain coordinated action. This focused, collective advocacy drives political commitments, policy change and effective programming to end child marriage.

Country Name of
Partnership or
coalition		 No. of
members		 2024 highlights 2024 direct
financial
grant
Uganda Girls Not Brides
Uganda		 124 Partnered with the Ministry of Gender and
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to
implement and disseminate the National
Strategy to End Child Marriage and Teenage
Pregnancy.
Advanced policy progress through the		 54,110

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GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE
reinstatement of the Sexual Offences Bill,
defining child marriage as an offence and
harmonising contradictory child marriage
laws.
Tanzania Tanzania
Ending Child
Marriage
Network
(TECMN)		 87 Led a campaign for a reform of the 1971
Marriage Act, securing commitment from
local leaders. National media coverage led to
the formation of community parent, girl and
youth groups, committed to amplifying the
power of girls.
Worked with stakeholders to implement and
improve school re-entry guidelines.		 80,627
Kenya Girls Not Brides
Kenya		 62 Contributed to Kenya’s first National Action
Plan to End Harmful Practices.
Advocated for government funding,
improved data systems, and structural
reforms for Sexual and Reproductive Health
and Rights (SRHR) access.		 91,703
Nigeria National
Coalition on
Ending Child
Marriage in
Nigeria
(NCECM)		 73 Partnered with traditional institutions in
Lagos and Enugu States to develop and
implement community by-laws addressing
child marriage, engaging 23 traditional and
local leaders and 120 girls as change agents
to present policy recommendations at the
State of the Nigerian Girls Summit.
Contributed to the review of the National
Strategy to End Child Marriage.		 35,580
Mozambique Coligação para
Eliminação dos
Casamentos
Prematuros
(CECAP)		 56 Collaborated with The Ministry of Gender on
the National Plan of Action for Children and
informed teenage pregnancy technical
groups at the Ministry of Health. Secured
commitment from the Ministry of Justice to
enforce anti-child marriage laws.		 36,979
Niger Platform to End
Child Marriage		 76 Conducted joint advocacy with national
education coalitions under the Education Out
Loud programme.
Mentored nine youth researchers, to prepare
their research and participate in an
international webinar.		 40,599
Burkina Faso CONAMEB 60 Advocated for the National Strategic Plan to
End Child Marriage 2024-28 and
modifications to the Penal Code.		 42,323

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TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

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GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE
Led budget advocacy for girls’ education
alongside the Education Out Loud
programme.
Nepal Balika Dulahi
Hoinan Girls
Not Brides
Nepal		 30 Submitted recommendations to the National
Strategy to End Child Marriage, advocating to
retain 20 as the legal marriage age.
Co-hosted first-ever National Assembly of
Child Human Rights Defenders, providing a
platform for young advocates to influence
child marriage policy.		 59,223
Jharkhand Girls Not Brides
Jharkhand
State Coalition		 40 Held a Youth Mela featuring girls’ football
teams.
Convened a State-Level conversation with 70
stakeholders on ending child marriage.		 -
Rajasthan Girls Not Brides
Rajasthan State
Partnership		 34 Launched a two-year ending child marriage
campaign in 16 districts alongside local
government.
Conducted workshops on child marriage in
marginalised communities, integrating
development-based approaches (education,
SRHR, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
(WASH)).		 55, 577
Guatemala La Mesa a
Favor de las
Niñas y
Adolescentes		 18 Supported government advocacy meetings
resulting in the Presidential Secretariat for
Women (SEPREM – the highest- level body of
the Presidency in matters related to human
rights and women’s development) being
included in the national ending child marriage
action planning.		 94,951
Malawi Girls Not Brides
Malawi		 94 Input into the new National Strategy to End
Child Marriage, which launched in October
2024.
Built foundations for the Accelerator
Initiative - a collectve efort to accelerate
acton towards ending child marriage,
spearheaded by_Girls Not Brides_Secretariat
and_Girls Not Brides Malawi_.		 77,002

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TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

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GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

Spotlight on... Advancing collective action to end child marriage in Nepal

Nepal country snapshot

Girls Not Brides Nepal has made transformative strides in the national movement to end child marriage. Building on ten years of experience, the partnership advanced commitments and action at all levels through strategic collaboration, capacity building, and inclusive advocacy.

Strategic input to national strategy

In 2024, the coalition played a central role in shaping the National Strategy to End Child Marriage, working closely with the Ministry of Women, Children, and Senior Citizens. By coordinating consultations across all seven provinces, and providing targeted feedback, Girls Not Brides Nepal ensured that rural community voices were included in national policymaking.

Successful budget advocacy in Madhesh province

After identifying a 2023 funding gap, Girls Not Brides Nepal successfully led budget advocacy in Madhesh Province. By engaging local officials through the Madhesh Task Force and submitting evidence-based recommendations, the province set a precedent by allocating new resources for awareness campaigns, education incentives, and enforcement mechanisms.

Amplifying youth voices

In a groundbreaking initiative, Girls Not Brides Nepal partnered with the National Human Rights Commission and the National Child Rights Council to convene Nepal’s first National Assembly of Child Human Rights Defenders. The National Partnership played a key role in shaping Nepal’s 2024 Voluntary National Review (VNR) by facilitating child-led consultations and developing actionable policy recommendations, which were included in Nepal’s final VNR, presented at the UN High-Level Political Forum in July 2024.

Spotlight on...Grassroot and collective efforts in Guatemala to end child marriage

Guatemala country snapshot

In Guatemala, Girls Not Brides provided technical and financial support to La Mesa , fostering long-term, sustainable efforts to end child marriage and early forced unions together with other experienced organisations.

Elevating the voices of members, girls and adolescents to advocate for multi-level change

Our joint advocacy efforts are critical in strengthening relationships with government, donors, and international partners. We supported representatives of La Mesa and Red Voceras to join strategic

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political events and bilateral meetings with government bodies to call for increased investment in girls and adolescents in national, regional and international policies. The advocacy led by La Mesa and supported by Girls Not Brides had a direct impact on the Presidential Secretariat for Women being included among the key actors in charge of the national action planning to end child marriage. Additionally, members issued evidence-based collective statements drawing attention to the insufficient funding for adolescent girls. This led to the new administration committing to adding a public panel considering child marriage.

Red Voceras: s upporting the next generation of advocates

Red Voceras is a youth-led initiative of La Mesa , supporting young girls and adolescents to become community advocates for change. Through training, mentorship, and leadership development, Red Voceras members challenge child marriage and gender inequality in Guatemala. In 2024, the first generation of Red Voceras completed their training, and plans for the second generation are underway, ensuring continuity and sustainability of youth-led advocacy.

Spotlight on...Effective policy advocacy and influence in Uganda

Uganda country snapshot

A trusted collaborator on ending child marriage

In 2024, Girls Not Brides Uganda deepened its role as a trusted government partner, through collaboration with the Ministry of Gender and the Ministry of Education on the implementation of Uganda’s National Strategy to End Child Marriage. The government announced the strategy had been rolled out in 34 of Uganda’s 143 districts and pledged deeper national multi-sectoral collaboration and implementation. Girls Not Brides Uganda was instrumental in localising the strategy by translating it into local languages and adapting it into accessible formats to support grassroots understanding and engagement.

Girls Not Brides Uganda supported the reinstatement of the Sexual Offences Bill to criminalise child marriage, signing Memorandums of Understanding with parliamentary forums focused on children and teenage pregnancy. They helped ensure the prioritisation of adolescent girls’ needs by shaping the National Adolescent Health Costed Implementation Plan, and through collaboration with the Interreligious Council of Uganda, Makerere University, and cultural leaders on promoting social norm transformation, with an emphasis on the integration of the rights of women and girls.

Local engagement shaping policy and social norms change

Girls Not Brides Uganda expanded its membership from 106 to 144 civil society organisations, extending its reach into post-conflict areas in the North and East, where child marriage remains highly prevalent. Using its community networks, they engaged clan clusters in culturally sensitive dialogue around the National Strategy to End Child Marriage, leading cultural and traditional leaders in Gulu and Nebbi to become key champions in efforts to end child marriage.

Girls Not Brides Uganda organised five regional Girls Summits, a cornerstone of their country-wide mobilisation and engagement. Notably, the Central Region’s summit was co-hosted by the Buganda

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Kingdom for the first time. These summits helped shape Uganda’s National Sexuality Education Framework through a study covering 74 districts in the North and East, informing improved guidance on issues such as the re-entry of pregnant girls into school, credited by local leaders in the prevention of vulnerable girls being forced into early marriage. The flagship National Girls Summit served as a national platform to elevate girls’ voices, share their experiences and advocate for stronger legal protections. Members presented an Issue Brief on child marriage and teenage pregnancy to Hon. Lillian Aber, Uganda’s Minister for Disaster Preparedness, who committed to taking the outcomes of the summit to senior government stakeholders.

Influencing

Throughout 2024, we convened, coordinated, and influenced key actors across the end child marriage ecosystem to ensure that adolescent girls remain at the heart of policy, programming, and funding commitments. We elevated the voices and expertise of our global membership and leveraged the latest data and evidence to drive transformative change.

We influence stronger political commitments and increased funding to end child marriage

Even in the face of shrinking civic space, stronger cross-border anti-rights groups, and political and economic pressures, we saw renewed commitments to end child marriage from critical powerholders and decision-makers. We created collaborative spaces at critical moments to bring together civil society, governments, donors and allies, and created opportunities to shape and drive action and investment into ending child marriage.

After significant advocacy efforts, including a joint statement submitted by Girls Not Brides and 124 member organisations, child, early and forced marriage was explicitly recognised as a violation of girls’ and young women’s human rights in the UN Pact for the Future. This reaffirmed international resolve to end child marriage, echoed in the 2024 UNGA Child Early and Forced Marriage Resolution. The Resolution, supported through formal and informal influencing at the UN General Assembly and beyond by Girls Not Brides and its members, was adopted by consensus in November 2024 with 123 country cosponsors.

Together with Global Affairs Canada, we convened the annual Strategic Donor Meeting with 50 participants from funders and strategic partners to connect, re-energise, and re-commit to accelerating an end to child marriage. Conversations like these are integral to building community and consensus around the importance of protecting and increasing investments to end child marriage. 2024 saw the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) along with Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) announce multi-million-pound investments towards ending child marriage and advancing the rights of adolescent girls.

In Africa, we worked closely with governments at both the Africa Union and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Parliamentary Forum to ensure renewed commitments to addressing child marriage. In Asia, we led the Technical Working Group on Child Marriage as part of the South Asia Civil Society Group, overseeing the review of the South Asia Regional Action Plan. In Latin America and the Caribbean, we influenced a position statement at the 57th session on the Commission on Population and Development (CPD), emphasising the importance of advancing SRHR to addressing child marriage and early unions, and ensuring the practice was successfully integrated into the regional civil society declaration.

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We actively engage other sectors to ensure that ending child marriage is prioritised across all areas of policy and practice

Child marriage is driven by multiple, interconnected factors, so our influencing work spans related sectors such as education, health and climate. This approach helps build a broader, more coordinated response, ensuring holistic and multisectoral strategies to end child marriage.

In 2024, Girls Not Brides worked with Human Rights Watch and other partners to advocate for a new Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, recognising the right to early childhood education and to guarantee free secondary education. We supported representatives from our National Partnership in Ghana, as well as GAMCOTRAP in The Gambia, to advocate for the Optional Protocol’s establishment at the Human Rights Council in Geneva. This helped to establish an intergovernmental working group and early co-sponsorship from both countries, demonstrating strong regional leadership and civil society influence in advancing girls’ rights through education.

Our Education Out Loud project in Francophone West Africa, made possible by the Global Partnership for Education’s fund for advocacy and social accountability, entered its second phase, bringing together end child marriage and education networks to shape policy and research through a shared agenda. In 2024, we supported youth activists to carry out research and advocacy, sponsoring one youth researcher from Niger to participate in the Gender is my Agenda Campaign (GIMAC) network Pre-Summit Consultative Meeting to the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government. Best practices - from this project were shared through a practical 10 step guide to support other organisations to effectively conduct youth-led research.

We amplify our members’ expertise and power on global and regional platforms

Local and national civil society organisations hold deep knowledge on what works to end child marriage and are critical to driving change in families, communities, and countries. We platform their voices, facilitate direct connections to influence those in power, and continue to advocate for the crucial role civil society plays in bringing about change with, and for, girls.

In 2024, we stood alongside powerful Gambian advocates calling on the government to uphold the ban on Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting (FGM/C) – an issue strongly linked to child marriage, including at the African Union Pan-African Conference on Girls’ and Women’s Education and at the 56th Human Rights Council. We supported Dr. Isatou Touray from our member organisation GAMCOTRAP to deliver a powerful intervention, speak at our co-hosted side event on cross-border FGM/C and met with the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women and Girls. Our advocacy efforts were critical in drawing international attention and pressure, contributing to the upholding of the FGM/C ban—a major win for girls’ rights.

Through storytelling and campaigns, we amplified the voices, expertise, and impact of our members to demonstrate the power of civil society actors driving change. In 2024, we saw 12,500 new followers and 2 million impressions across our social media platforms and 46,500 users on our website. Our #MovementMakers series showcased the powerful personal stories of civil society leaders across eight countries in Africa and Asia, inspiring the next generation of changemakers. The videos had a combined 2,500 views on YouTube and our 56 social media posts reached over 44,000 people. Our social media toolkits provide common messaging and graphics for our collective advocacy with our members. For example, for the International Day of Education, our toolkit of 12 graphics across three languages resulted in over 65 members' posts and reached over 282,000 people on our own platforms.

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Spotlight on... Collective power in action - Colombia passes landmark law banning child marriage

After 17 years of campaigning by civil society groups, in 2024 Colombia took a historic step by approving one of the most comprehensive laws in Latin America and the Caribbean to ban child marriage. The law not only raises the age of marriage to 18 years without exception but also incorporates the design and implementation of a National Comprehensive Programme for Life Projects for Children and Adolescents, aimed at reducing the root causes of early unions.

Child marriage in Colombia

Working with key partners including Asociación ProFamilia, Equality Now, Girls First Fund (GFF), Fundación para el desarrollo en Género y Familia (GENFAMI), and Global Fund for Children, we collectively raised awareness of child, early, and forced marriage and unions as a form of violence against children to strengthen political will on this issue in Colombia. We provided direct support and guidance to key Senators and lawmakers who then proposed the bill in Congress, providing technical support to refine the bill proposal. Girls Not Brides and its members in Colombia ensured progress by facilitating space for dialogue, engaging key actors, establishing relationships with senators and targeting specific decision makers. Media coverage helped sustain public and political pressure, contributing to the successful passing of the law.

Timeline of collective actions with members and partners

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Spotlight on... Accelerating legislative reform to end child marriage in southern Africa

In August 2024, we co-hosted a major regional convening to drive the implementation of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Model Law on Eradicating Child Marriage, through a partnership with the SADC Parliamentary Forum, HIVOS, UNFPA East and Southern Africa Regional Office, Plan International’s Southern Africa Programme, and UNICEF. The event brought together critical stakeholders in ending child marriage from across the region, including civil society, policymakers, traditional leaders, youth leaders and UN agencies. Dialogue across all stakeholders was critical in ensuring a rights-based, gender-transformative approach to discussions on implementation and resourcing of the SADC Model Law on Eradicating Child Marriage.

Originally adopted in 2016 by the SADC Parliamentary Forum, the SADC Model Law on Eradicating Child Marriage sets the minimum age of marriage at 18 for girls and boys without exception and provides a framework for SADC member states to end child marriage by harmonising national laws, promoting prevention and response mechanisms, and addressing root causes of child marriage.

Key outcomes included the formation of a new regional Communities of Practice (CoP) to facilitate knowledge sharing, collaboration, and continuous learning. Together, stakeholders co-created a clear, actionable path forward: one that champions legal reform, prioritises grassroots leadership, and drives collaborative accountability across the region to ensure girls and children are free from the risk of child marriage.

Learning

Girls Not Brides is a global knowledge and learning hub, driving a shared understanding of what works to end child marriage. Evidence and learning play a central role in our work, ensuring that policies, programmes and investments to end child marriage and support married girls are grounded in evidence. We play a critical role in connecting evidence with practice, sharing knowledge across our membership, the research community, funders, and policymakers.

We generate, use, and share the latest evidence to drive informed action .

Throughout 2024, we strengthened our role as a global thought leader on what works to end child marriage. We shared learning and insights at key global platforms, including the Sexual Violence Research Initiative Forum in Cape Town and our Strategic Donor Meeting in London, equipping donors, decision makers and strategic partners with the insights they need to address the root causes of child marriage.

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continues to be a vital tool for researchers, advocates and educators. It is used by the University of Nottingham to inform teaching on child marriage law and was cited in a civil society report on girls’ rights for the Beijing+30 Review in the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) region.

We strengthen the coordination and uptake of research and evidence

We play a pivotal role in ensuring research and evidence to address child marriage is accessible, aligned, and used to inform action at global, regional and national levels. In 2024 we deepened collaboration with leading research partners including the UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to End Child Marriage, UNICEF Innocenti, University College London, World Health Organization, Accelerate Hub, the MENA Regional Action Forum To End Child Marriage, and the Sexuality Working Group, amongst others, to align our research priorities and fill knowledge gaps to end child marriage.

The Child Marriage Research to Action Network (The CRANK), our joint initiative with the UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to End Child Marriage, continues to build on its strong record as an effective coordinator of global child marriage research. We disseminated the latest priority analysis among its 570 engaged cross-regional members and facilitated the uptake of this evidence to strengthen programme, advocacy, and policy outcomes.

New focus on child marriage and mental health: In collaboration with University College London and the Global Network on Mental Health and Child Marriage, the CRANK hosted a symposium with over 200 stakeholders to explore the relationship between child marriage and mental health. Emerging evidence shows that girls who are or have been married experience a range of poor mental outcomes - from anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation - but that support services are limited and poorly resourced. The event helped put this issue on the global agenda, resulting in a joint comment in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health -Mental health consequences of child marriage, and a forthcoming special issue in the Journal of Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies . Initial recommendations call for safe spaces, community-led support, and systems-level responses to improve care for girls who are or have been married.

We support our members to apply evidence and learning to strengthen their impact

Building the skills, knowledge and leadership needed to collectively address child marriage is a key component of our learning offer to members. In 2024, we held four webinars, five training sessions, and published a suite of 20 learning briefs, toolkits and reports. 70% of 209 members surveyed have accessed one learning product in the last year. 79% of those that had accessed a learning product were satisfied, viewing the products as highly relevant, timely and practical, well-researched, data-driven, expertbacked, introducing new ideas and challenging existing approaches.

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Spotlight on...Using evidence for advocacy: Driving a clearer understanding of legal reform to end child marriage

In 2024, we prioritised legal reform as a central learning agenda, deepening understanding of what is required for effective, rights-based approaches to end child marriage.

Evidence synthesis

Unpacking the evidence on child, early, and forced marriages and unions and the law strengthens our call for a comprehensive response to addressing child marriage. While legal reforms remain essential to demonstrate political commitment, unlock investment, and uphold the rights of girls, emerging evidence shows that laws alone are not sufficient and can lead to unintended, harmful consequences for girls – especially those most at-risk, from marginalised communities, and those facing systemic barriers to justice.

Communication, promotion, and critical engagement

We brought this evidence to life through a strategic journey from insight to action. This included synthesising the latest research, developing practical resources, and sharing learnings with our members and partners, and more widely at global convenings. Through dialogues with policymakers, legal experts and grassroots advocates, we championed more nuanced approaches—ones that acknowledge the reality of adolescent unions and focus on building supportive systems, not just legal deterrents.

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TO THE TRUSTEES OF GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

Advocacy in action

These interventions have played a pivotal role in steering the global conversation on legal reform for ending child marriage towards more nuanced, rights-based, gender-transformative approaches. We have worked to shift external messaging beyond punitive legal frameworks, particularly within human rights spaces. This was evident in Colombia, where messaging strengthened advocacy for the creation of a National Comprehensive Programme for Life Projects for Children and Adolescents. This programme complements the new national law that raises the age of marriage to 18 with no exceptions, ensuring legal reform is paired with preventative programmes that centre and serve girls.

In Nepal, this evidence informed the national dialogue on proposed changes to the legal minimum age of marriage, making the case for approaches that are rooted in both rights and evidence. At the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Model Law Convening, members were supported to ensure that rights-based and gender-transformative approaches were embedded into the regional legislative discussion, resulting in the Joint Statement on Defending Girls’ Rights on Ending Child Marriage in the SADC Region.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, where laws banning child marriage are already in place across most countries, our work catalysed vital conversations around implementation gaps and the need to move beyond legal reform alone. The emphasis is now shifting toward solutions that focus on opportunity, support, and protection for girls.

Operations & People: the critical foundations of our impact

In 2024, we continued to invest significant effort into the systems and structures that support the Girls Not Brides team to deliver impact, including safeguarding, grant management, and digitalisation.

Safeguarding

During the year, Girls Not Brides continued to embed standards of safeguarding, monitoring and training of all relevant persons across the globe.

Our safeguarding policy was updated to align with sector best practice through a peer participatory process, finalised and approved by the Board in February 2024. Mandatory annual training was completed by all team members of Girls Not Brides.

To meet member needs, a comprehensive safeguarding pack was developed, including a range of free templates around policies and guidelines. Girls Not Brides continued to support its members and partners with capacity strengthening initiatives including:

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TO THE TRUSTEES OF GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

Safeguarding Due Diligence in Grant Making

To ensure the appropriate safeguards for donor funds. Girls Not Brides continued to strengthen its safeguarding due diligence processes with a participatory approach to assess grants made to National Partnerships and Coalitions that received grants from us. This process considered safeguarding and Preventing Sexual Harassment, Exploitation and Abuse (PSHEA) best practices, including the contextual realities of the grant recipients, while ensuring adherence to the principles of safeguarding.

Digitalisation at Girls Not Brides

Financial

In 2024, Girls Not Brides revised and strengthened its credit card policy to ensure that stronger controls were put in place. Thresholds and limits were reviewed supporting the organisation in safeguarding its finances.

In the sphere of cyber-crimes, credit card fraud and email hacking, Girls Not Brides continues to run a mandatory annual training on the prevention of cyber security and fraud for all its team members.

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STRATEGIC PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

In 2025, Girls Not Brides enters a pivotal year, one that marks the final phase of our 2022–2025 Secretariat Strategy and the beginning of our visioning for 2026 and beyond. As we consolidate our efforts and capture the lessons from the past three years, we will embark on a comprehensive strategic review to co-create our next chapter. This process will be rooted in inclusive consultation with our staff, members, partners, and donors, ensuring that our future direction reflects the realities and needs of those we serve while positioning us to lead boldly in an increasingly complex global context. This moment demands that we not only reflect but respond, with sharper focus, greater resilience, and renewed purpose, as we face shrinking resources, mounting crises, and alarming rollbacks on rights.

Key Highlights for 2025

Our work in 2025 remains firmly anchored in our four strategic objectives: Movement Building, Influencing, Learning, and Ensuring a Strong Secretariat. These pillars will continue to guide our actions, even as we test new ideas, push boundaries, and prepare the ground for more ambitious and transformational approaches in the years ahead.

Under our movement-building efforts, 2025 will focus on expanding and diversifying our global partnership. We are actively working to bring new voices into the movement, especially women- and girlled organisations, those working in conflict and crisis-affected settings, and youth-led initiatives across underrepresented regions in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Our aim is to grow our membership by 8% in Latin America and the Caribbean and to onboard at least 20 new organisations in Africa and Asia. Alongside this, we are enhancing our core offer to members through tailored support and resources. This includes fundraising training, capacity-building on gender transformative approaches and social norms change, regional youth leadership initiatives, two rounds of small grants, and sponsorships for strategic engagement in global and regional spaces such as the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the African Union, (AU) and the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

Our commitment to national and state partnerships remains strong, with continued technical support and accompaniment to 28 active coalitions across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In 2025, we anticipate disbursing 13 grants to strengthen their collective advocacy and programmatic impact, with a particular focus on Burkina Faso, Kenya, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Malawi, which is part of our flagship initiative, The Accelerator.

Anchored under the influencing pillar, The Accelerator is one of the most significant and strategic developments in our recent history. Sparked by a transformational financial gift from MacKenzie Scott in 2023, The Accelerator represents a bold commitment to catalyse systemic change across the child, early and forced marriage and unions (CEFMU) ecosystem. The Accelerator is framed around the pillars of “Lead, Commit, Invest,” and aims to drive momentum across the global movement to end CEFMU. In 2025, our influencing work will be closely aligned with the objectives of The Accelerator, beginning with a pilot in Malawi that will test an intensive national acceleration model. Our efforts will include mobilising and uniting key stakeholders across the movement and beyond, increasing coordination and cohesion around a shared agenda for change.

Globally, we will continue to engage with the girls’ rights donor ecosystem, promoting the findings from our “Where’s the Money to End CEFMU?” research and making the case for smarter, more targeted investment. We will use platforms such as the Skoll Forum, the Financing Feminist Futures Conference, and our Annual Donor Meeting to amplify this message and deepen alliances with philanthropic

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actors. Our global advocacy in 2025 will also include a creative engagement strategy to bring CEFMU into broader conversations on girls’ rights. At CSW, we plan to host a screening of Nawi, an Oscar-longlisted film from Kenya about child marriage, elevating the visibility of emerging and established voices across the movement.

Across regions, we are aligning with existing campaigns to amplify impact. In Africa, we are engaging with the African Union’s campaign on the Convention to End Violence Against Women and Girls to ensure CEFMU remains central to government commitments. In Asia, we will continue our leadership role in the South Asia technical working group on child marriage, and support national consultations in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal as part of SAIEVAC’s regional action plan. In Latin America and the Caribbean, we will be active at the Regional Conference on Women in Mexico—an important space linked to the Beijing +30 platform—and deepen our influencing work with members in Mexico and Colombia.

Elevating the voices and impact of our members remains central to our mission. We will continue to spotlight grassroots leadership through the Movement Makers series, feature stories of change from recent visits to Mozambique and Guatemala, and amplify member efforts to advance the SADC model law. As the Accelerator unfolds in Malawi, we will capture and share compelling content to illustrate the power and potential of national-level acceleration in practice.

Our learning and evidence work in 2025 will reinforce Girls Not Brides as a leading knowledge hub on CEFMU. We will build on existing thematic resources—spanning education, law, sexual and reproductive health, and conflict—and create new learning products such as infographics, animations, and short videos to enhance accessibility and uptake by our members. These will be shared through enhanced knowledge platforms and integrated into national and regional strategies. The Child Marriage Research to Action Network (CRANK) will continue to facilitate knowledge exchange through research spotlight events and virtual meetings. We will also partner with UNFPA, UNICEF, WHO, and other global actors to convene a stocktaking and priority-setting process to assess global evidence progress since 2019, culminating in an event in 2026 to inform global research priorities across sectors.

To strengthen the Secretariat, we remain committed to cultivating a collaborative, inclusive, and valuedriven organisational culture. In 2025, we will co-develop new organisational values and continue to evolve how we work as One Girls Not Brides . We will review internal communications, improve performance systems, and provide tools to help team members better understand and align their roles with the organisational mission. We will also conduct a strategic review of our operating model, identifying the most effective structure for delivering impact globally. Operational improvements will include the automation of financial systems through the rollout of SAP Concur and an overhaul of our grants delivery mechanisms to improve speed and efficiency. As part of our safeguarding commitments, refresher training will be delivered to all staff, members, and Board.

As we look to the future, 2025 is not just a year of closing one chapter, it is a year of preparation, alignment, and vision-setting. The strategic review process that begins this year will be grounded in listening, in learning, and in leadership. It will be shaped by the wisdom of our members, the needs of girls and communities, and the realities of an evolving global landscape. It will ask hard questions about where we go next and offer a collective opportunity to renew our focus, our resilience, and our resolve. In a world marked by growing uncertainty, dwindling resources, and persistent inequalities, this is our moment to stand up with clarity, courage, and conviction, to shape a strategy that is not only fit for purpose, but fit for impact.

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FINANCIAL REVIEW

Income

In 2024, Girls Not Brides’ total operating income was £5,352,027 (2023: £9,412,837), a decrease of £4,060,810 or 43%. This was due to the one-off significant unrestricted funds receive in 2023. Funding from private foundations formed the majority of the unrestricted income, with other funding from government grants. This year restricted income was £980,805 (2023: £306,991), an increase of £673,814 or 219%. Restricted funds were approximately 18% the total income.

With special thanks to our partners and donors for working with us in 2024:

Expenditure

Expenditure on charitable activities in the year was £4,809,595 (2023: £4,084,019). This was in line with the organisational budget of £5,100,000. Girls Not Brides was able to spend 94% of its annual budget in 2024.

Reserves

As of 31 December 2024, totals reserves were £9,593,209 (2023: £9,050,777).

These were made up of unrestricted funds £2,625,635 (2023: £2,651,403). Designated funds £6,854,366 (2023: £6,438,630) and Restricted Funds 113,208 (2023: -39,257) This included funds due to be paid in 2025 from the Oak Foundation and UNFPA.

Unrestricted Reserves Policy

At 31 December 2024, Girls Not Brides’ unrestricted reserves (excluding designated and restricted reserves) decreased slightly to £2,625,635 (2023: £2,651,403) as a result of planned expenditure towards our work to end child marriage.

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In the past, the Trustees would assess keeping unrestricted reserves based on a policy of maintaining 3 to 6 months of unrestricted running costs to ensure future sustainability.

In line with the SORP (FRS 102), we maintain financial reserves to ensure the sustainability and resilience of our organisation. Reserves are held to protect our work against future uncertainties, manage financial risks, and provide a buffer in the event of unexpected shortfalls in income or unforeseen increases in expenditure.

Our reserves enable us to:

The level of reserves is reviewed annually by the Board of Trustees as part of our financial planning and risk management processes. This review takes into account the nature of our income and expenditure, the reliability of income streams, our strategic priorities, and the wider economic context.

In accordance with SORP requirements, we distinguish between unrestricted reserves that are freely available for general purposes and those that are designated or restricted for specific uses. Our policy aims to hold unrestricted free reserves equivalent to three to six months’ core operating expenditure, a level we believe is prudent and proportionate to our risk profile and operating model.

Consequently, our policy results in maintaining a minimum resilience target of £2.8m to provide operational working capital and to mitigate against unforeseen risks. We will continue to develop plans to increase our sources of unrestricted funds, but recognise that this will take time and may, in the short term, require some investment from our existing designated reserves. We will continue to monitor our funding position closely particularly in light of the current funding crisis in the sector.

Designated Funds

At 31 December 2024, Girls Not Brides’ designated reserves increased to £6,854,366 (2023: £6,438,630) as a result of short-term investments. These unrestricted funds were received as a gift from MacKenzie Scott in 2023. The Trustees have designated these funds as a strategic reserve to drive future growth, catalyse innovation, and ensure long-term sustainability in pursuit of our strategic objectives. These funds are being held in short-term investments and shown on the Balance Sheet.

During the year, anticipated funding gaps that initially required the drawdown of designated funds were successfully offset by new donor contributions allowing us to preserve these strategic reserves for future use.

Since the start of 2025, we have witnessed a decline in donor funding within the sector and a rapidly shifting operational environment, marked by increased uncertainty and troubling rollbacks on rights and protections for girls. These challenges have called on us to rise to the moment—to be more courageous, more focused, and more impactful in our work.

30

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

TO THE TRUSTEES OF

GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

Our new strategy for 2026–2030 is bold, ambitious, and unapologetically focused on impact. It calls on us to lead differently - more courageously, more collaboratively, and more intentionally. In response, we are committed to deploying our resources where they are needed most.

The Trustees will begin a phased release of designated funds from 2026 onwards , ensuring that every pound is used to fuel transformational change. These investments will be guided by clear priorities, rigorous oversight, and an unwavering commitment to maximising impact, supporting the girls, communities, and partners at the heart of our movement.

Restricted Funds

The remaining £113,208 (2023: (£35,257)) is held in restricted funds which we are obliged to spend by our donors, bringing our total reserves to £9,593,209.

Exemptions from disclosure

This report has been prepared in accordance with the small companies’ regime under the Companies Act 2006.

This report was approved by the Board on 13 June 2025 and signed on its behalf by

……………………………………………………….

Dr Alaa Murabit Chair of the Board of Trustees

31

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

TO THE MEMBERS OF GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Girls Not Brides (the ‘charitable company’) for the year ended 31 December 2024 which comprise the statement of financial activities, balance sheet, statement of cash flows and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including FRS 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion, the financial statements:

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charitable company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on Girls Not Brides' ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other Information

The other information comprises the information included in the trustees’ annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other

32

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

TO THE MEMBERS OF GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the trustees’ annual report. We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the statement of trustees’ responsibilities set out in the trustees’ annual report, the trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

33

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

TO THE MEMBERS OF GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud are set out below.

Capability of the audit in detecting irregularities

In identifying and assessing risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations, our procedures included the following:

34

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

TO THE MEMBERS OF GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occurring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation.

A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charitable company's members as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and the charitable company's members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Noelia Serrano (Senior statutory auditor)

Date: 3 July 2025 for and on behalf of Sayer Vincent LLP, Statutory Auditor 110 Golden Lane, LONDON, EC1Y 0TG

35

GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

Statement of financial activities (incorporating an income and expenditure account)

For the year ended 31 December 2024

For theyear ended 31 December 2024 For theyear ended 31 December 2024
Unrestricted
Note
£
Income from:
2
3,955,486
415,736
4,371,222
3a
312,025
3a
1,834,615
3a
1,834,615
3,981,255
5
389,967
389,967
Reconciliation of funds:
9,090,034
9,480,001
Investments (Income from Interest)
Total income
Expenditure on:
Donations and Grants
Raising funds
Total expenditure
Charitable activities
Promotion of equality and human rights
Prevention and relief of poverty
Total funds brought forward
Net income for the year
Total funds carried forward
Net movement in funds		 Restricted
£
980,805
-		 2024
Total
£
4,936,291
415,736
5,352,027
312,025
2,248,785
2,248,785
4,809,595
542,432
542,432
9,050,777
9,593,209		 Unrestricted
£
9,063,795
42,051		 Restricted
£
306,991
-		 2023
Total
£
9,370,786
42,051
4,371,222 980,805 9,105,846 306,991 9,412,837
312,025
1,834,615
1,834,615		 -
414,170
414,170		 331,845
1,675,940
1,675,940		 -
200,147
200,147		 331,845
1,876,087
1,876,087
3,981,255 828,340 3,683,725 400,294 4,084,019
389,967 152,465 5,422,121 (93,303) 5,328,818
389,967
9,090,034		 152,465
(39,257)		 5,422,121
3,667,913		 (93,303)
54,046		 5,328,818
3,721,959
9,480,001 113,208 9,090,034 (39,257) 9,050,777

All of the above results are derived from continuing activities. There were no other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above. Movements in funds are disclosed in Note 14a to the financial statements.

36

GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

Balance sheet

Company no. 8570751

As at 31 December 2024

Note
£
Fixed assets:
10
Current assets:
11
123,626
1,154,427
8,948,873
10,226,926
Liabilities:
12
(642,843)
13a
6,854,366
2,625,635
Total unrestricted funds
General funds
Total charity funds
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Net current assets
Cash at bank and in hand
Tangible assets
Designated funds
The funds of the charity:
Net assets
Short term investments
Debtors
Restricted funds
Unrestricted funds:		 Note
£
Fixed assets:
10
Current assets:
11
123,626
1,154,427
8,948,873
10,226,926
Liabilities:
12
(642,843)
13a
6,854,366
2,625,635
Total unrestricted funds
General funds
Total charity funds
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Net current assets
Cash at bank and in hand
Tangible assets
Designated funds
The funds of the charity:
Net assets
Short term investments
Debtors
Restricted funds
Unrestricted funds:		 2024
£
9,126
9,126
9,584,083
9,593,209
113,208
9,480,001
9,593,209		 £
161,098
725,396
8,501,891		 2023
£
19,087
19,087
9,031,690
10,226,926
(642,843)		 9,388,385
(356,695)
6,854,366
2,625,635		 6,438,630
2,651,404
9,050,777
(39,257)
9,090,034
9,050,777

Approved by the trustees on 13 June 2025 and signed on their behalf by:

Dr Alaa Murabit Chair of the Board of Trustees

37

GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

Statement of cash flows

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Note
£
£
Cash flows from operating activities
Net income for the reporting period
542,432
(as per the statement of financial activities)
Depreciation charges
10
9,960
Decrease / in debtors
11
37,473
Increase / in creditors
12
286,148
Net cash provided by / operating activities
876,013
Payments for property and equipment
-
-
876,013
9,227,287
10,103,300
1,154,427
8,948,873
Analysis of cash and cash equivalents and of net debt
At 1 January
2024
Cash flows
£
£
Current accounts
725,396
429,031
Deposit accounts
8,501,891
446,982
Total cash and cash equivalents
9,227,287
876,013
2024
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year
Change in cash and cash equivalents in the year
Cash and cash equivalents
Short Term Investments
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
Net cash (used in) investing activities
Cash flows from investing activities		 Note
£
£
Cash flows from operating activities
Net income for the reporting period
542,432
(as per the statement of financial activities)
Depreciation charges
10
9,960
Decrease / in debtors
11
37,473
Increase / in creditors
12
286,148
Net cash provided by / operating activities
876,013
Payments for property and equipment
-
-
876,013
9,227,287
10,103,300
1,154,427
8,948,873
Analysis of cash and cash equivalents and of net debt
At 1 January
2024
Cash flows
£
£
Current accounts
725,396
429,031
Deposit accounts
8,501,891
446,982
Total cash and cash equivalents
9,227,287
876,013
2024
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year
Change in cash and cash equivalents in the year
Cash and cash equivalents
Short Term Investments
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
Net cash (used in) investing activities
Cash flows from investing activities		 Note
£
£
Cash flows from operating activities
Net income for the reporting period
542,432
(as per the statement of financial activities)
Depreciation charges
10
9,960
Decrease / in debtors
11
37,473
Increase / in creditors
12
286,148
Net cash provided by / operating activities
876,013
Payments for property and equipment
-
-
876,013
9,227,287
10,103,300
1,154,427
8,948,873
Analysis of cash and cash equivalents and of net debt
At 1 January
2024
Cash flows
£
£
Current accounts
725,396
429,031
Deposit accounts
8,501,891
446,982
Total cash and cash equivalents
9,227,287
876,013
2024
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year
Change in cash and cash equivalents in the year
Cash and cash equivalents
Short Term Investments
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
Net cash (used in) investing activities
Cash flows from investing activities		 £
£
5,328,818
26,238
20,107
(153,630)
5,221,533
(15,101)
(15,101)
5,206,432
4,020,855
9,227,287
725,396
8,501,891
Other non-
cash
changes
At 31 December
2024
£
£
-
1,154,427
-
8,948,873
2023		 £
£
5,328,818
26,238
20,107
(153,630)
5,221,533
(15,101)
(15,101)
5,206,432
4,020,855
9,227,287
725,396
8,501,891
Other non-
cash
changes
At 31 December
2024
£
£
-
1,154,427
-
8,948,873
2023
876,013
-		 5,221,533
(15,101)
At 1 January
2024
£
725,396
8,501,891		 Other non-
cash
changes
£
-
-
876,013
9,227,287		 5,206,432
4,020,855
10,103,300 9,227,287
1,154,427
8,948,873

Cash flows
£
429,031
446,982		 725,396
8,501,891

At 31 December
2024
£
1,154,427
8,948,873
9,227,287 876,013 - 10,103,300

38

GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

1 Accounting policies

a) Statutory information

Girls Not Brides is a charitable company limited by guarantee and is incorporated in England and Wales (company number: 8570751; charity number: 1154230).

The registered office address is Seventh Floor, 65 Leadenhall Street, London EC3A 2AD.

b) Basis of preparation

Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy or note.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland Charities SORP (FRS 102) including update bulletin 2, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), the Charities Act 2011 and Companies Act 2016.

c) Public benefit entity

The charity meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102.

d) Presentational and functional currencies

The accounts are presented in sterling. The functional currencies of the charity are sterling, US dollar and euro. The accounts are presented in sterling since that is the currency in which the charity conducts most of its activities. No amounts have been rounded.

e) Going concern

There are no material uncertainties that cast significant doubt upon the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern.

f) Income

Income is included in the Statement of financial activities when the charity is entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy. The following specific policies are applied to particular categories of income:

g) Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general objects of the charity. Restricted funds are only for use of the purposes prescribed by the donors.

Designated funds are unrestricted funds earmarked by the Trustees for specific purposes.

39

GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

1 Accounting policies (continued)

h) Expenditure and irrecoverable VAT

Expenditure is recognised on an accruals basis as a liability is incurred. Expenditure includes any VAT that cannot be fully recovered, and is reported as part of the expenditure to which it relates:

i) Grants payable

Grants payable are made to third parties in furtherance of the charity's objects. Grants to Partners, members and coalitions are recognised as per the Financial Investments Policy. Single or multi-year grants are recognised and accounted for in the year that the grant contract is signed by the third party unless there are existing grant contract conditions.

j) Operating leases

Rentals payable under operating leases are charged in the income and expenditure account on a straight line basis over the lease term.

k) Tangible fixed assets

Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write down the cost of each asset to its estimated residual value over its expected useful life. The depreciation rates in use are as follows:

over 3 years over 3 to 5 years over length of lease

Fixed assets with a value less than £1,000 are not capitalised.

l) Debtors

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.

m) Cash at bank and in hand

Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash in hand and call deposits, and other short-term highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to a known amount of cash and are subject to an insignificant risk of change in value.

n) Creditors and provisions

Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of business from suppliers. Accounts payable are classified as current liabilities if the charitable company does not have an unconditional right, at the end of the reporting period, to defer settlement of the creditor for at least 12 months after the reporting date. If there is an unconditional right to defer settlement for at least 12 months after the reporting date, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised at the transaction price.

40

GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

1 Accounting policies (continued)

Provisions are recognised when the company has an obligation at the reporting date as a result of a past event, it is probable that the company will be required to settle that obligation and a reliable estimate can be made of the amount of the obligation.

o) Pensions

The company operates a defined contribution scheme for the benefit of its employees. The costs of contributions are charged to the Statement of financial activities in the year in which they are payable.

p) Foreign currencies

Transactions in foreign currencies are recorded at the rate as at the date of the transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities are re-translated at the rate of exchange ruling at the balance sheet date. Any differences are taken to the Statement of financial activities.

2 Income from donations (grants)

Government grants
Donations
Other grants and donations		 Unrestricted
£
1,471,089
-
2,484,397		 Restricted
£
-
-
980,805		 2024
Total
£
1,471,089
-
3,465,202		 Unrestricted
£
733,488
6,438,630
1,891,677		 £
-
-
306,991
Restricted		 2023
Total
£
733,488
6,438,630
2,198,668
3,955,486 980,805 4,936,291 9,063,795 306,991 9,370,786

41

GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

3a Analysis of expenditure (current year)

Staff costs (Note 6)
Premises costs (rent, utilities)
Travel and workshops / meetings
Consultancy
Grants (Note 4)
Professional fees
IT and communications
Office and other
Support costs
Governance costs
Total expenditure 2024		 Raising funds
£
184,360
-
46,478
-
-
-
-
4,481		 Charitable activities Charitable activities Governance
costs
£
-
-
34,454
43,534
-
14,100
-
-		 Support
costs
£
541,297
239,003
50,078
57,994
12,557
14,853
109,714
160,838		 2024
Total
£
1,586,363
239,003
669,864
1,052,692
738,161
142,721
158,546
222,245		 2023
Total
£
1,464,588
180,549
790,233
913,791
230,234
62,079
138,269
304,276
Human
rights
£
430,353
-
269,427
475,582
362,802
56,884
24,416
28,463		 Relief of
poverty
£
430,353
-
269,427
475,582
362,802
56,884
24,416
28,463
235,319
71,180
5,526		 1,647,927
557,577
43,281		 1,647,927
557,577
43,281		 92,088
-
(92,088)		 1,186,334
(1,186,334)
-		 4,809,595
-
-		 4,084,019
-
-
312,025 2,248,785 2,248,785 - - 4,809,595 -

42

GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

3b Analysis of expenditure (prior year)

Analysis of expenditure (prior year)
Staff costs (Note 6)
Premises costs (rent, utilities)
Travel and workshops / meetings
Consultancy
Grants (Note 4)
Professional fees
IT and communications
Office and other
Support costs
Governance costs
Total expenditure 2023		 Raising funds
£
196,819
-
67,033
1,861
-
-
-
884		 Charitable activities Governance
costs
£
-
-
14,221
6,050
-
13,440
-
-		 Support
costs
£
474,689
168,661
97,141
65,930
-
48,639
105,965
92,732		 2023 Total
£
1,464,588
180,549
790,233
913,791
230,234
62,079
138,269
304,276
Human
rights
£
396,540
5,944
305,919
419,975
115,117
-
16,152
105,330		 Relief of
poverty
£
396,540
5,944
305,919
419,975
115,117
-
16,152
105,330
266,597
63,225
2,023		 1,364,977
495,266
15,844		 1,364,977
495,266
15,844		 33,711
-
(33,711)		 1,053,757
(1,053,757)
-		 4,084,019
-
-
331,845 1,876,087 1,876,087 - - 4,084,019

43

GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

4 Grant making

Grant making
Msichana Empowerment Kuria, Kenya
Children's Dignity Forum, Tanzania
Asociación Donamor, Guatemala
Association for social and human awareness - ASHA, India
Voix de Femmes, Burkina Faso
Associação Moçambicana Desenvolvimento da Família, Mozambique
At the end of the year
Cost - Partner
Child and Youth Protection Foundation, Nigeria
Others small grants (Togo, Ghana, Ivery Coast, Benin and Senegal)
SongES, Niger
Girls Lagacy Trust, Zimbabwe
Ciprodeni, Guatemala
Orchid Project, Kenya
The Foundation for Children's Rights, Malawi
Yawalaya, Nepal
Centre for Unfolding Learning Potentials, India
Child Rights Empowerment and Development Organisation, Uganda		 Grants to
institutions
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 2024
£
94,951
91,703
77,002
59,223
55,577
54,110
15,490
-
-
40,599
42,323
36,979
35,580
-
80,627
53,998		 2023
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
50,000
23,167
32,627
28,247
-
6,660
28,000
12,727
48,806
- 738,161 230,234

In line with Girls Not Brides Financial Investment Policy, all grants provided during the year were made to registered member and partner institutions. These were not individual beneficiaries.

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GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

5 Net income for the year

This is stated after charging:

This is stated after charging:
2024 2023
£ £
Depreciation 9,960 26,238
Operating lease rentals payable:
Property 126,280 113,290
Auditor's remuneration (excluding VAT):
Audit 11,750 11,200
Other auditing services (EOL project) 4,925 4,700
Foreign exchange cost 13,660 42,436

6 Analysis of staff costs, Trustee remuneration and expenses, and the cost of key management personnel

Staff costs were as follows:

Salaries and wages
Social security costs
Employer’s contribution to defined contribution pension schemes
Other forms of employee benefits (medical, life and travel insurance)		 2024
£
1,292,271
143,868
129,215
21,009		 2023
£
1,175,919
129,104
119,745
39,820
1,586,363 1,464,588

Girls Not Brides makes contributions to a defined contribution scheme. The amount of contributions due to the scheme at the year ended 31 December 2024 was £nil. (2023: £nil). During the year, Girls Not Brides changed pension providers and introduced a salary sacrifice arrangement for its employees.

During 2024, Girls Not Brides paid £663,241 (2023, £533,343) to regional contractors to continue delivering providing support to Partners and Members as part of the strategic plan. Regional contractors are based closer to our members and partners as part of Girls Not Brides deepening of its global and regional presence.

The number of employees whose remuneration for the year fell within the following bands:

2024 2023
No. No.
£60,001 - £70,000 1 -
£70,001 - £80,000 2 2
£120,001 - £130,000 1 1

The total employee benefits (including pension contributions and employer's national insurance) of the key management personnel were £463,766 (2023: £334,018). In 2024, the Chief Executive Officer, two directors, and an acting director were responsible for planning, directing and controlling the activities of the charity. There were two vacant positions for directors both were filled in the Q4/2024.

In 2024, Girls Not Brides paid £77,988 (2023: £20,270) on behalf of the Trustees for expenses related to recruitment, travel, accommodation, meals and training. The major part of the cost was £43,534 related to the recruitment of a new chair, and two trustees which occurred during 2024 and Q1/2025.

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GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

7a Staff numbers

The average number of UK employees (head count based on number of staff employed) during the year was 26 (2023: 26).

The average monthly number of employees during the year was:

2024
No.		 2023
No.
27 27

7b Overseas contractors

The average number of overseas contractors during the year was 21 (2023: 16).

The average monthly number of contractors during the year was:

2024
No.		 2023
No.
21 16

8 Related party transactions

In October 2024, Dr Alaa Murabit joined as the Chair of the Board of Trustees for Girls Not Brides . It is noted that at the time of joining, Dr Alaa Murabit was an employee (Director of Global Health, Advocacy and Communications) for the Gates Foundation. She left the Gates Foundation in December 2024. Girls Not Brides is a recipient of project funds from the Gates Foundation during 2024 £220,818 (2023: £0). There were no other related party financial transactions for 2024. (2023: £0)

9 Taxation

The charity is exempt from corporation tax as all its income is charitable and is applied for charitable

10 Tangible fixed assets

Tangible fixed assets
Eliminated on disposal
Charge for the year
Cost
At the end of the year
At the start of the year
At the end of the year
Net book value
At the end of the year
At the start of the year
Depreciation
At the start of the year
Additions in year
Disposals in year		 Short
leasehold
improveme
£
106,515
-
-

Computer &
software
£
93,718
-
(7,811)		 Furniture &
equipment
£
57,875
-
-		 Total
£
258,108
-
(7,811)
106,515 85,907 57,875 250,297
106,515
-
-		 74,631
9,960
(7,811)		 57,875
-
-		 239,021
9,960
(7,811)
106,515 76,780 57,875 241,170
-
-		 19,087
9,126		 -
-		 19,087
9,126

All of the above assets are used for charitable purposes.

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GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

11 Debtors

Debtors
Prepayments
Other debtors		 2024
£
65,572
58,054		 2023
£
88,036
73,062
123,626 161,098

12 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year

Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Taxation and social security
Grants payable
Trade creditors
Creditors falling due more than one year
Other creditors		 2024
£
187,627
41,063
211,156
185,913
17,084		 2023
£
66,035
38,732
71,263
180,665
-
642,843 356,695

13a Analysis of net assets between funds (current year)

Analysis of net assets between funds (current year)
Analysis of net assets between funds (prior year)
Tangible fixed assets
Net assets at 31 December 2023
Tangible fixed assets
Net current assets
Net assets at 31 December 2024
Net current assets		 Designated
Funds
6,854,366
General
unrestricted
£
9,126
2,616,509
Restricted
£
-
113,208		 Total funds
£
9,126
9,584,083
6,854,366 2,625,635 113,208 9,593,209
Designated
Funds
6,438,630
General
unrestricted
£
19,087
2,632,317
Restricted
£
-
(39,257)		 Total funds
£
19,087
9,031,690
6,438,630 2,651,404 (39,257) 9,050,777

13b Analysis of net assets between funds (prior year)

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GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

14a Movements in funds (current year)

Movements in funds (current year)
UNFPA
Education Out Loud (EOL)
Gates Foundation
Total restricted funds
Total designated funds
General funds
Ford Foundation
Unrestricted funds:
Designated funds:
Oak Foundation
Total funds
Total unrestricted funds
Restricted funds:
Sustainable Growth & Innovation Fund		 At 1
January
2024
£
-
(39,257)
-
-
-		 Income
£
56,342
56,211
253,589
220,813
393,850		 Expenditure
£
(93,782)
(64,425)
(249,769)
(220,813)
(199,551)
Transfers
£
-
-
-
-
-		 At 31
December
2024
£
(37,440)
(47,471)
3,820
-
194,299
(39,257) 980,805 (828,340) - 113,208
6,438,630 - - 415,736 6,854,366
6,438,630
2,651,404		 -
4,371,222		 -
(3,981,255)		 415,736
(415,736)		 6,854,366
2,625,635
9,090,034 4,371,222 (3,981,255) - 9,480,001
9,050,777 5,352,027 (4,809,595) - 9,593,209

The narrative to explain the purpose of each fund is given at the foot of the note below.

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GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

14b Movements in funds (prior year)

Movements in funds (prior year)
UNFPA
UNICEF
Packard Foundation
Total restricted funds
Total designated funds
General funds
Education Out Loud (EOL)
Unrestricted funds:
Designated funds:
Sustainable Growth and Innovation
Oak Foundation
Restricted funds:
Total unrestricted funds
Total funds		 At 1
January
2023
£
57,422
-
-
(29,162)
25,786		 Income &
gains
£
196,462
48,156
28,679
33,694
-
Expenditure
& losses
£
(253,884)
(48,156)
(67,936)
(4,532)
(25,786)
Transfers
£
-
-
-
-
-		 At 1
January
2024
£
-
-
(39,257)
-
-
54,046 306,991 (400,294) - (39,257)
- 6,438,630 - - 6,438,630
-
3,667,913		 6,438,630
2,667,216		 -
(3,683,725)		 -
-		 6,438,630
2,651,404
3,667,913 9,105,846 (3,683,725) - 9,090,034
3,721,959 9,412,837 (4,084,019) - 9,050,777

Purposes of restricted funds

In 2024, Girls Not Brides signed the second phase of Education Out Loud project for strengthening collective action to end child marriage, keeping girls in school, and advancing gender equality in West Africa. The second phase is for the period from Jan 2024 to Dec 2026 and the total funding is for USD958,781. In 2024, a total amount of £249,769 was spent towards project activities.

As part of funding received from Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), Girls Not Brides confirms that no funds were spent in Non-ODA countries. As part of the funding requirements, all grants to sub-grantees, less than £20k are regularly reviewed by the Finance Team for ensuring compliance with requirements.

Any grant agreement over £20k includes a clause for the grantee to complete a project audit after completing the project or after completing one financial year. Girls Not Brides enforces this requirement and regularly checks to ensure partners are compliant to this requirement.

In 2024, UNFPA awarded Girls Not Brides an additional grant of £78,706 for the Child Marriage Action to Research Network (CRANK). In the year 2024, a total expense of £64,425 was incurred for implementing activities of this project. The deficit relates to funds owed by UNFPA at 31.12.24. These funds were received in full during Q1/2025.

In 2023, Girls Not Brides received a restricted grant of £165,348 from the Oak foundation. This is part of a larger grant with total amount of £729,080 where the remaining part of the project will be funded by Girls Not Brides through unrestricted funds. In 2024,Girls Not Brides incurred £93,782 expenses related to this project. The financial report was submitted at the end of March 2025 and funds will be reimbursed from the donor.

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GIRLS NOT BRIDES: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO END CHILD MARRIAGE

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Purposes of restricted funds (continued)

In 2024 Girls Not Brides received a restricted grant from the Gates Foundation which was fully disbursed for charitable activities in the year.

In 2024, Girls Not Brides received a restricted grant from the Ford Foundation. This was partially spent in 2024 and the remainder has been carried forward to 2025.

Purpose of designated funds

These were unrestricted funds received as a gift from MacKenzie Scott in 2023. The trustee designated this towards a fund for future growth, innovations and sustainability towards meeting its strategic objectives to 2030. These funds are being held in short-term investments and shown on the Balance Sheet. The new strategic plan under development and review from 2026-2030 will identify how we fund the delivery of key outcomes and objectives, in particular where we are anticipating shortfalls in funding given the decline in donor funding and an increase in uncertainty on the rights and protections for girls.

15 Operating lease commitments payable as a lessee

Total amount payable in respect of non-cancellable operating leases:

Operating lease commitments payable as a lessee
Total amount payable in respect of non-cancellable operating leases:
Two to five years
Less than one year
One to two years		 2024
£
148,932
60,555
-		 2023
£
74,256
208,913
148,932
209,487 432,101

50