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Forced marriage does not just affect individuals. Its consequences are widespread, spanning local, national and international levels. Forced marriage is when either or both parties involved are compelled into a union without their full and voluntary consent. This is widely considered a harmful practice and a form of violence against women due to the unfair impact it has on their lives. A subset of forced marriage is child marriage, which represents a union in which one or both persons are younger than 18. Girls are the most affected, while boys are aided to pursue formal education and skills acquisition. According to UNICEF, more than 650 million women around the world were married as children. Every year an estimated 12 million girls get married before their 18th birthday, amounting to about 28 girls every minute. The most affected number of girls are located in the least developed countries, particularly in Africa. These girls account for 40 per cent of girls married before 18, and 12 per cent of girls married before age 15 (UNICEF). It has also been suggested that if current practices persists, the number of child brides may multiply to about 20.8 million girls by 2050 in West and central Africa alone (UNICEF 2018). The principle causes of forced and child marriage are interconnected, reflecting a range of cultural, social, political and economic issues. Poverty and economic imbalance have led many families to sell their girl child into marriages in a bid to escape hunger and hardship; the bride price is usually used to meet outstanding family needs. Similarly, cultural practices in some developing countries place women and girls at a disadvantaged position, where they are trained on domestic activities and then given out in marriage at a very young age to uphold their cultural heritage. Socially, some families prefer to give out their young underaged girls in marriage rather than risk cases of unwanted pregnancies. To them, forced and child marriage is a strategy to maintain moral standards. As a consequence, young girls and women are negatively impacted socially, politically, economically and psychologically. This is evidenced in health-related complications from pregnancies in under-aged girls, inability to earn a decent income due to lack of education, rape cases that result in traumatic emotional experiences, low chances of contributing meaningfully to the society, and limited opportunities to participate in politics and take up leadership roles. However, women leaders are starting to shine a light for women everywhere. Women have been active participants in championing feminist movements, COVID-19 intervention initiatives, global climate action, and movements against racism (Muteme, 2006). In Africa, the action of women leaders shows great promise for the community, nation and international development. This inspires and empowers increased hope for a better future for all. History was made in 2006 when Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Liberia's former President and Nobel prize winner, became the first female head of state in Africa and the first black woman head of state. This awakened women's participation in political leadership in Africa. In a statement about the successful involvement of African women leaders in handling the COVID-19 health crisis, she said that "Women leaders are better placed to draw informal networks to mobilise rapid response and community support." She added that "women are familiar with finding alternative resources and creating ingenious collaborations to solve problems" (Alice Ngoyen, 2020). Scaling women's participation in leadership positions ensures that women's voices are heard at the most significant levels of decision making and governance. Just 14 countries in the world have 50 percent or more women in their cabinet (Ngoyen, 2020). Rwanda is one of them, with women accounting for 53.6 percent of the country's national cabinet. The highest number of women in parliament across the world can be found in Rwanda, with their parliament comprised of 61.3 per cent women. Other countries in Africa with high percentages of women in parliament are South Africa, Namibia, Senegal and Mozambique. Countries that rank at the bottom for the percentage of women in leadership are Nigeria, Gambia and Benin. (Alice Ngoyen, 2020). The low level of political participation by women may be attributed to lack of education, the stereotypical belief that men are better leaders, gender bias political structures, reduced support for female leaders, and reduced allocation of political slots of female candidates. According to the United Nations, despite the limitations posed by forced marriage, an increasing number of women are changing the narrative. Successful women leaders have attributed their leadership success to access to education and work opportunities, strategic mentoring by both men and women, support from family and the public, and successful lobbying by gender equality activists. Unfortunately forced marriage deprives young girls in Africa the access to these opportunities. Having fewer women in leadership appears to support longstanding norms and stereotypes that women are not meant for leadership, just for basic home duties. However, women in leadership in the various spheres of life today have demonstrated that women can be impactful and productive leaders. To reduce the cases of forced marriage in Africa, women-led transformative leadership is required. Women leaders are in the best position to address issues facing women and girls. They are in the best position to drive advocacy and policies against forced marriage and inspire young girls and their parents to choose formal education. Women leaders can also provide mentorship for young girls, mobilise community women leaders against forced marriage, and develop innovative strategies to influence strict cultural practices that fuel forced marriage. To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals call for global action to end human rights violations by 2030, female leaders are instrumental, especially considering their first-hand experiences of gender-based discrimination. They are well-positioned to motivate the communities, young girls, parents, and influence other policy makers to end forced marriage. Education – both formal and informal – for the girl child must be encouraged. Women interested in leadership must also be encouraged. Harmful cultural practices need to be reviewed by communities so they understand the disadvantages, paving the way for communities to support girls and women to live up to their potential. References: UNICEF (2021), Child protection: Child marriage UNICEF (2018), Child marriage in West and Central Africa Alice Ngoyen (2020).The potential of women's leadership in Africa Gumisai Muteme African women are ready to lead ABOUT THE AUTHOR Amusile Olayemi is an early career researcher with a keen interest in SDG 3 (Good health and well-being) and SDG 5 (Gender equality). As a pharmacist, she has led several health-related advocacy campaigns on sexual and reproductive health rights and tobacco harm reduction through media platforms. She has also co-authored four research publications. She holds membership in professional organisations such as the Commonwealth Youth and Gender Equality Network (CYGEN) and the International Society for Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP). She believes everyone has a part to play in building an equal and healthy world. She plans to do so through writing and advocacy. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adeleke.olayemiyeemzy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amusile-olayemi-a02522180 The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Royal Commonwealth Society.

Since the Royal Commonwealth Society Hong Kong Branch (RCSHK) was established in 1983, RCSHK has customarily celebrated Commonwealth Day with a cocktail reception at The Hong Kong Club attended by branch members, the Commonwealth consular corps, and a diverse range of citizens and friends of the Commonwealth community in Hong Kong. For the first time since the onset of the pandemic, due to current government regulations RCSHK took to Zoom to host a Virtual Commonwealth Day 2022 celebration in collaboration with our friends at the Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong (CCCHK). This was RCSHK’s inaugural virtual event, with the branch having succeeded in organising regular physical events throughout the ongoing pandemic period notwithstanding the limitations imposed by social distancing requirements. Approximately 50 attendees representing the Commonwealth community in Hong Kong and the Asia region joined the virtual event, which was addressed by RCSHK Chairman, Mr. Peter Mann MBE, CCCHK Chairman, Ms. Julia Charlton, and RCSHK Co-Patron, Mr. Andrew Wells. The Commonwealth Affirmation was led by Peter Mann, with HM British Consul-General to Hong Kong, Mr. Brian Davidson CMG reading HM The Queen’s Commonwealth Day Message 2022. The honour of reading HM The Queen’s Commonwealth Day message rotates annually amongst the Commonwealth consuls-general in Hong Kong. Other members of the Commonwealth diplomatic corps in attendance included the consuls-general from Bangladesh, Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Singapore. The honour of proposing the Loyal Toast to HM The Queen as Head of the Commonwealth in this special year of the Platinum Jubilee fell to Mr Nicholas Tam, RCSHK Council Member and Chairman of the RCSHK Young Fellows. Attendees drank enthusiastically to the good health of HM The Queen, with many looking forward to the Platinum Jubilee Dinner scheduled for Thursday 2 June 2022 at The Hong Kong Club. The event concluded with a Commonwealth Quiz hosted by Nicholas Tam, which tested participants on their knowledge of the Commonwealth. Split into two rounds of twelve questions, participants demonstrated their knowledge of (or otherwise learned) a series of fun facts about the Commonwealth, including the following: Singapore is the Commonwealth country with the highest GDP per capita; Tuvalu has the smallest population of any Commonwealth country; ‘Nollywood’, as Nigeria’s movie industry is known, is larger than Hollywood and second only to India’s Bollywood for number of movies produced; The Commonwealth is home to 33% of the global population; Lawn Bowls is played at the Commonwealth Games, but not the Olympics; Botswana is the Commonwealth’s largest diamond producer (by carats), and second globally (behind Russia) French, Mandarin, and Portuguese are all official languages of at least one Commonwealth country Each $1 spent by the host city of the Commonwealth Games generates $2 for the local economy Congratulations to Keith Jones, David Keating, Shanling Wells, Tony Lau, Victor Hui and Hari Om Dahiya for ranking among the top scorers. Each will receive one bottle of Commonwealth wine as a prize, kindly sponsored by The Honourable Jeffrey Lam GBS JP, Honorary Advisor to CCCHK. Author Nicholas Tam is Council Member and Young Fellows Chairman of the Royal Commonwealth Society Hong Kong Branch. He is qualified to practise law in Australia, Hong Kong, and New Zealand, and relocated from Australia to Hong Kong in 2013. Find out more about the RCS Hong Kong Branch: http://rcshk.com/

Eudora Nwangwu, CYGEN Lead for Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics Rights evaluates the health implications of Nigeria’s same-sex prohibition act, among young lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ+) persons. Issues: In Nigeria, social injustice and violations of the fundamental human rights of vulnerable groups, especially women,[1] are common. Women are disproportionately affected by poverty, HIV and AIDS, gender-based violence; sexual and reproductive rights abuses, and limited access to information and basic health and legal services.[2] Like much of the rest of Africa, Nigeria is not an easy social or political environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, Intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) persons. Not only is same-sex sexual conduct criminalised under out-dated penal codes inherited from the British colonial laws and Islamic Shar’ia Law that applies in the north of the country, but reactionary new legislation – The Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act (SSMPA) 2014 – has gone much further to criminalise same-sex relationships, any public displays of same-sex affection, as well as community organising by LGBTI-focused civil-society organisations. In the current political and social climate, politicians, religious leaders, and even mainstream civil society frequently practice hate speech against LGBTIQ+ persons. Social stigma, discrimination, violence, extortion, blackmail and other human rights violations are routine and only very rarely do LGBTIQ+ persons feel comfortable to live ‘out of the closet.’ The last fifteen years have witnessed LGBTIQ+ rights becoming more politicised across the globe. As a result, a new network of civil society organisations working with LGBTIQ+ persons has emerged in Nigeria. However, the vast majority of these organisations have focused almost exclusively on gay men to the exclusion of lesbian women and other LGBTIQ+ persons. This is in part due to the linking of human rights activities to health-related services for men who have sex with men (MSM) but also reflects the male dominated culture that predominates across Nigeria. Since the passage of the Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act (SSMPA) 2014 into law, access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services has steadily declined among LGBTIQ+ persons in Nigeria. This is as a result of the criminalising laws, social stigma, discrimination, violence, extortion and blackmail, used as weapons by both state and non-state actors to victimise LGBTIQ+ people. This study’s aim is to evaluate the effects of the SSMPA on the access and use of SRHR services among young LGBTIQ+ persons in Nigeria. Since the passage of the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act 2014, there have been recurrent violations and injustice perpetrated towards persons who identify as LGBTIQ+. The law contributes significantly to a climate of impunity for crimes committed against LGBTIQ+ people. LGBTIQ+ victims of crime said the law inhibited them from reporting to authorities due to fear of exposure and arrest. Interviewees, including representatives of mainstream human rights organisations, said the SSMPA has created opportunities for people to act out their homophobia with brutality and without fear of legal consequences. Under the auspices of the SSMPA, police have raided the offices of NGOs that provide legal and HIV services to LGBTIQ+ communities. For example, shortly after the SSMPA passed in January 2014, police raided an HIV awareness meeting in Abuja and arrested 12 participants on suspicion of “promoting homosexuality.” They were detained in police custody, without charge, for three weeks, before paying a bribe of 100,000 Naira (approximately $200) to secure their release.[3] In Ibadan and other places, interviewees told Human Rights Watch that the police had detained them multiple times since the passage of the SSMPA. Human Rights Watch interviewed eight of the 21 young men who were arrested, but not charged, at a birthday party in Ibadan.[4] The Study: Fifteen focus group discussions were funded by Women’s Health and Equal Rights (WHER) Initiative Nigeria, with a total of 120 LGBTIQ+ persons aged 18-35 who were living in Abuja, Anambra, Ebonyi, Portharcourt, Lagos and Ibadan, these focus group discussions were conducted between March and June 2020 in their states, within the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. This research was conducted to evaluate the impact of SSMPA on access to health for sexual minorities in Nigeria, it was conducted in six different states in Nigeria and was attended by 120 young LGBTIQ+ persons. The participants shared their personal stories on how they are affected by police brutality, unlawful arrest, extortion and possible detention for those who could not meet police demands. These abovementioned challenges restrict their chances to access to health due to the fear of the police and non-state actors. Key Findings: The focus group discussions revealed that many LGBTIQ+ persons have experienced more than one form of human rights violation within the last three years. Their greatest challenge was accessing healthcare from a facility that is not key population friendly. Some admitted that they absconded from going to their medical appointments or drug refills to avoid being labelled and arrested. Some transgender and Intersex people in the meeting disclosed that they have a hard time staying on their hormonal therapies or getting binders and menstrual kits because they are avoiding harassment by the public. Recommendations: The study captured the major issues LGBTIQ+ persons face in accessing proper SRHR services because of criminalising laws and human rights violations. It is recommended that non-governmental organisations engage in high profile advocacy meetings with the government, lawmakers and state actors, including lawmakers and law enforcement agencies, to make flexible laws that support the equality and dignity of LGBTIQ+ Nigerians. Also, the government should introduce comprehensive sexuality education to the school curriculum, and revisit policies that affect access to health for young LGBTIQ+ persons. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Eudora is an Intersex person, and sexual and reproductive health and rights activist who is passionate about promoting the rights of sexual minorities. Eudora’s goal is to create visibility for intersex persons in Nigeria. They are committed to community service and social justice. Eudora’s major strategy is using their privilege as a young person to take up positions in decision-making places to speak up on the issues of intersex persons and other sexual minorities. Eudora is currently a member of the Global Fund Youth Council, CYGEN, Co-chair IAC Power of Pride Project, W4GF National Focal Point, Bisi Alimi Foundation RA Scholar 2021, and an OutRight International Action UN Fellow. Eudora is currently a student at the National Open University of Nigeria, pursuing a degree in Developmental Studies. Instagram: @diverce_kay Twitter: @pharmkryin LinkedIn: Eudora Oge The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Royal Commonwealth Society.

Photo caption (L-R): Joanne Newell, Board Director, RCS (Antigua-Barbuda); Lindsy Thompson, British Resident Commissioner; H.E. Lady Williams, President, RCS (Antigua-Barbuda); Patrice Skerritt, Board Director, RCS (Antigua-Barbuda); John Duffy, Board Director, RCS (Antigua-Barbuda). The Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) Antigua and Barbuda Branch, in partnership with the Halo Foundation, has procured 17 wheeled garbage bins to be made available for use by patrons of large events. The bins were financed by the British High Commission in Antigua and Barbuda. President of the RCS Antigua and Barbuda Branch, Her Excellency Lady Williams, said: “We are extremely appreciative of this gesture. The government of the United Kingdom, through its British Commission based here, is always willing to assist in addressing environmental challenges. This donation will allow us to make extra bins available (at no cost) to any organization staging an event that would require additional receptacles for garbage disposal.” Resident British Commissioner to Antigua and Barbuda, Ms Lindsy Thompson, said “we’re delighted to support the RCS and Halo Foundation with this excellent initiative to help keep Antigua and Barbuda beautiful. This is one of a number of projects funded by the British High Commission supporting Antigua and Barbuda in our shared environment objectives”. Other RCS branches in the Caribbean are Barbados (registered in 1985), Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Find out more about the RCS Antigua and Barbuda Branch.

By Taofeekat Adigun The Commonwealth Youth Gender and Equality Network (CYGEN) is a network of young experts advocating for gender equality and the rights of women, girls, and LGBTQ+ people across the Commonwealth. Following her participation at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s virtual Commonwealth Youth Parliament in December 2020, Taofeekat Adigun reflects on the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on employment opportunities for youth, women, LGBTQ+ people and BAME communities. One of the key issues discussed at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s first-ever virtual Commonwealth Youth Parliament (CYP) was COVID-19 and Unemployment. Rightfully so, given the impacts COVID-19 have had on the economy. I represented the Commonwealth Youth Gender and Equality Network (CYGEN) as an expert witness for a committee session of the CYP and had the pleasure of discussing the disrupting impacts of COVID-19 on employment for youth; women; LGBTQ+ people; Black Asian, and Minority ethnic (BAME) communities; and people living with disabilities with fellow youth delegates from across the Commonwealth. Sadly, the youth workforce has been vulnerable to the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus outbreak. The various responses taken to fight the pandemic have resulted in economic shutdowns across the globe. Industries employing the majority of working youth and women such as retail, food services, hospitality and travel were hit hardest by the pandemic leaving millions unemployed and out of work. According to a preliminary assessment report by The International Labor Organization, COVID-19 has increased unemployment and underemployment, while widening inequalities with a disproportionate impact on the most vulnerable, namely youth and women. The impacts of the pandemic on youth labour market outcomes have been severe in developed, emerging and developing countries. COVID-19 IMPACTS ON JOB OUTLOOKS The impact of the pandemic has been severe for women, LGBTQ+ and BAME communities, and even more devastating for young women, LGBTQ+ youth, and young people from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic backgrounds. A recent McKinsey Global Institute study estimated that around the world, jobs held by women are 1.8 times more likely to be cut in this recession than those held by men. Women also make up 39 percent of global employment but account for 54 percent of overall job losses. Women work more in informal sector and low paying jobs which have been severely affected by the pandemic. The pressure of social norms that expect women to undertake unpaid care work is heightened with school and childcare centre closures. The gendered expectations for addressing childcare needs disproportionately impacts women, and can mean working reduced hours or ceasing work altogether when no sufficient alternatives are available. This further exacerbates gendered pay gaps and reinforces discriminatory notions of women’s right to work beyond the home. According to the Gender Social Norm Index released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), more than half of those surveyed in South Asian, Middle Eastern, North African, and Sub-Saharan African countries agreed that men have more right to a job than women when jobs are scarce. About one in six respondents in developed countries said the same as well. The pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, expressions, and sexual characteristics as well. Compared to the general populace, LGBTQ+ people continue to experience distinct disparities in health, income, employment, and access to critical resources like housing and medical care, all of which leave them especially vulnerable. They also experience employment discrimination which restricts them to certain kinds of work, often in the informal sector, with less pay, little security and no benefits. Societal and institutional discrimination against LGBTQ+ people are major drivers of this disparity. The impacts of COVID-19 have been especially distinct among communities of colour. Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) migrants were 1.3 times more likely to experience income loss due to COVID-19; being disproportionately affected by redundancy processes due to bias and racial injustice. Throughout the pandemic, Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests across the globe have further highlighted how deeply rooted racism is in society and how it remains a lived experience, particularly for Black people. These events show that despite greater focus on diversity and inclusion in recent years, progress on tackling racism is slow. We still have a lot to do in building fair and truly inclusive societies and organizations free of racism. ADOPTING TO NEW REALITIES Beyond lay-offs and redundancies, the impacts of upsurge in temporary contracts in the world of work are now even more apparent. For those still working, conditions have worsened, leaving many with precarious earnings or no income at all. The continued instability of the pandemic deepens the reluctance of employers to return to full-time and permanent employment models. The continued surge in temporary and part-time jobs means lower pay, and more insecure and unsafe jobs with little stability and benefits. Certainly, the pandemic year has had us all asking questions and CYP delegates were not exempt from this as they came fully packed with reflective and powerful questions. Delegates discussed the extent of the inequalities on minority groups, positive correlation between COVID-19 cases and experiences of social inequities pre-COVID, key policy shifts needed to stimulate economic participation for women out of work due to the pandemic and more. One delegate was a direct victim of job loss resulting from the gendered burden of childcare. Sadly, the circles of inequality, powerlessness, and multi-faceted deprivation existed prior to COVID-19 and are simply being starkly highlighted and exacerbated. These disparities will continue post-pandemic if we fail to act. THE WAY FORWARD The future of works has come faster with the onset of the COVID-19 crisis and the speed of digital transformation. Many jobs will disappear and the new jobs that are created will have increasing demand for rapid technological and digital skills, which urgently requires an upskilling of our populations. My experience leading “STUDENT NETWORK”, an initiative centred on providing mentorship, skill acquisition, and career insight to young people in Nigeria, focuses on youth employability and providing relevant skills and training needed for upskilling in various career paths. To help create sustainable opportunities and networks that enable youth aspirations and business to thrive, COVID-19 Youth Funds supporting youth initiative on collaborative projects, entrepreneurship schemes, and business development need to be put at the forefront of policy action. As businesses across the globe collectively race to adapt to the new realities of COVID-19, they cannot afford to deprioritize their efforts to advance the inclusion of women, the BAME community, LGBTQ+ people and other minorities. Governments and decision-makers across all sectors must also engage a wider perspective in all processes. For instance, gender-sensitive policies need to comprehensively recognized and respond to women’s work-life realities. Funding programs need to be accessible to women entrepreneurs, with a special focus on women-owned enterprises accessing capital to kick-start or sustain businesses to further promote gender diversity. Most importantly, access to education and training specifically geared toward empowering young women and girls is essential to prepare them for the future of work in automation and technology. Through my own work and discussions at the CYP it is helpful to reflect on how essential it is to pay attention to structural inequalities that are so starkly highlighted by the pandemic. We must adopt more inclusive and sustainable approaches throughout our COVID-19 recovery efforts in creating policy that addresses the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on minority groups. Importantly, this will involve resolving the generations of discrimination, multi-dimensional neglect, and comprehensive harms fuelled even before the pandemic and likely to evolve further following it. As a society, inclusion is increasingly recognized as fundamental to our continued progress and development. Thus, in looking toward a post-coronavirus world embracing this belief with respect to employment and opportunity will be critical to our success. References UN Women; COVID19 impacts on Women Human Rights Watch; LGBTQ Inequality and Vulnerability in the Pandemic. Conversation Africa. Inc. “Black, Asia, and Ethnic Minority” World Future Council, “Solution for our common future” International Labor Organization, “Report on COVID-19 Impacts On Youth Employment” McKinsey Global Report; COVID-19 and gender equality: Countering the regressive effects

Article by: Christine Ghati Alfons I am the founder of Safe Engage Foundation, an organisation working with youths as the change agents to stir up dialogues in the community with an aim of achieving a community free from violence against women and children. I am a Kenyan activist working towards the abandonment of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting and Child marriages in my community and beyond. I am also a co-facilitator with Orchid Project, specialising in UNICEF’s six elements for abandonment of FGM/C. From 2019-2020 I served in the Executive committee of CYGEN as the Child Early and Forced Marriage (CEFM) lead and I am a Queen’s Young Leader (2015). Contact Details Twitter: @Ghatichristine Facebook: Christine Alfons Instagram: @alfonschristine This article gives overview of child and forced marriages, factors contributing to and effects of Child marriages, and strategies that have been employed across the Commonwealth member states to curb the practice. It also highlights two stories of women who are survivors of child, early, and forced marriages. Marriage is often regarded as a moment of celebration; a milestone in an adult’s life. Unfortunately, the practice of child, early and forced marriage gives no such cause for celebration. All too often, forcing a married partner upon a child means that their childhood is cut short – and their fundamental rights are compromised. What are the differences between Child, Early and Forced marriage? Child marriage is any formal marriage or informal union where one or both parties are under 18 years of age. (https://www.unicef.org/protection/child-marriage) Early marriage is where one or both parties have attained the consenting age and are married, but may not have been ready and were pressured into marriage by circumstance. Some experts see a very slim difference between child marriage and early marriage. Forced Marriage is where one or both people do not or cannot consent to the marriage, and pressure or abuse is used to force them into marriage. A marriage can also become a forced marriage even if both parties enter with full consent, if one or both are later forced to stay in the marriage against their will. (https://cpdonline.co.uk/knowledge-base/safeguarding/what-is-a-forced-marriage/) All these are harmful practices that violate the rights of women and girls. Statistics across the globe and in the Commonwealth. Globally, 12 million girls are married before the age of 18 each year. This equates to 23 girls every minute. (https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/about-child-marriage/) In the Commonwealth, about 8.8 million girls are married before the age of 18. Every year, this means that about 17 girls get married every minute. (https://thecommonwealth.org/media/news/working-together-end-child-marriage) This paper calls for urgent action to help accelerate abandonment of the practice. If action is not taken urgently, more than 15 million girls will be married before the age of 18 by 2030. These practices are fuelled by the following factors: (https://www.africaparent.com/child-marriages-2) 1. Gender inequality: Girls are very vulnerable to Child Marriage compared to boys as they are less valued in many communities across the Commonwealth. 2. Poverty: The longer girls stay in school the more they stay away from child marriages. Whenever girls lack school fees and stay at home, they become more vulnerable to child marriages. In addition, their parents can create wealth by marrying them off in exchange for a dowry. 3. Social norms: This is about values and how people express them in everyday life. Many communities across the Commonwealth do not see child marriage as something that needs to be challenged and changed. It is another social norm, like Female Genital Mutilation, which is also highly valued across in many cultures and can be part of preparing girls for marriage. Child Early and Forced Marriage has devastating consequences all over the world, ranging from health to financial/ economic to literacy levels to psychological. It violates some of the rights of women and girls. Some of the rights violated by child, early and forced marriage are: ✔ Right to health: Child marriage exposes a girl to very high-risk pregnancy as her body is not yet ready for gestation and childbirth, which may cause fistula or even death during birth. ✔ Right to education: Girls married as children effectively lose their childhood. They are forced to drop out of school to get married and look after their families. ✔ Freedom of choice (choice of their partners and when to marry): Girls are not given the opportunity to reach the age of consent to choose their own partner. ✔ Right to be protected from harmful practices: Girls subjected to child marriage are not protected from the harm that it comes with it. Emerging aspects in Child Marriage Eloping marriage is where two minors – a boy or a girl – decide to marry. In this case their parents are held liable by the law. Another incidence of elopement is when a girl who is a minor decides to get married to a man who is of consenting age. This mostly happens with girls who are victims of teen pregnancies, or the social norms within their local communities make them believe that it is okay to get married before the consenting age. Strategies that have been employed to end child marriages across the Commonwealth (https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/about-child-marriage/) 1. Community sensitisation: Community outreach, to help communities understand the need to abandon and end child marriage, has been carried out by civil society organisations who are working at the grassroots to help change attitudes. This has been adopted by many organisations, including Amref Health Africa, World Vision and Safe Engage Foundation. 2. Legal approaches: Different countries take different legal approaches to child marriage. For example, countries like Kenya and Uganda have criminalised the practice by setting a minimum legal age for marriage. In most cases laws alone do not work to stop the practice. Policies and programmes are needed to ensure social change happens. 3. Education scholarship opportunities: Some governments and CSOs offer scholarships to girls who are vulnerable to dropping out of school. These opportunities extend their time in school, enabling them to complete their education and attain the age of consent. 4. Women economic empowerment programmes: An economically empowered woman can make informed decisions about her own health and that of her children and can stand up for her daughters, so they are not married early. These approaches are not standalone; they complement each other to ensure the practice ends. The strategies need to be employed while ensuring the community members are at the centre to help ensure ownership and change social norms. In Kenya, most of these strategies have been employed. The national prevalence is at 23 per cent, but this varies by region. In Northern Kenya, the rate is at 56 per cent, the Coastal region is at 41 per cent and in the Western region the rate is at 32 per cent. (https://atlas.girlsnotbrides.org/map/kenya) Some of the programmes that are proving to be efficient are engaging girls and boys in schools to understand why they should say no to child, early and forced marriages. They are also engaging survivors of child, early and forced marriages so that they can protect their own daughters – and influence friends and relatives not to be victims of the practice. Through this, many girls who were married before the age of 18 have been able to overcome some challenges and are progressing well to ensure their families are not falling victims of the practice. Below are two case studies of women from the Western Part of Kenya Case study 1: Gati “My name is Gati (not her real name). I grew up in a family that did not value education. I was forced by my father to drop from class 7 to get married, so I can give him dowry. I was married off at the age of 16 years. After I gave birth to three children, the man who married me sent me away, so that he could marry another woman. I went back to my parents with my children, and I stayed there for about three years. I did not have any income generating activity and I had to rely on my parents, who were farmers, for provision. “After a while, the man who sent me away came asking for his dowry to be returned, but my parents did not have anything with them. I had only one option; getting another man who would marry me and get the dowry to return to the man who was demanding his dowry back. I finally found a suitor, this time he was my choice, I loved him, he accepted me and my three children. “In my second marriage, life was still very hard, and we were struggling to make ends meet as I was only looking up to my husband to provide for everything, yet he was just a peasant farmer. We worked hard on the farm to ensure we had basic supplies. “I later joined an economic empowerment session in my village, where I learnt about a sewing programme. I enrolled and now I can make dresses to sell and train other women and girls on tailoring skills. “I urge parents not to force their daughters to get married; rather they need to help them complete school and learn skills that can help them earn income.” Case study 2: Boke “My name is Boke (not her real name), I am 19 years old and joined high school in January 2020. In March, the first COVID-19 case was reported in Kenya, and we closed school and went home. In April I went to visit my aunt. I stayed there for about two weeks then. That is where I met my boyfriend. I decided to get married; yes, I wanted to settle with him. My mum came looking for me to get back to school when schools reopened but I had already made a decision to settle with my husband. I refused and did not want to go back to school. “My first year of marriage was not so easy, I had a miscarriage and lost my baby and so far life is proving to be so hard. I have enrolled for a craft course to help me earn income since it is not easy to wait on my husband to provide for everything. Given a chance to encourage girls, I would ask them to hold on to education first and not to run for marriage. There is time for everything.” For social change, the community members' attitudes and perspectives are very important to inform programmes, but ending child, early and Forced marriage can be accelerated if all stakeholders play their part effectively. This includes political good will, community readiness, sufficient funding to grassroot organisations, updated data across the Commonwealth countries, and proper monitoring frameworks. References: Ending Child Marriage in Africa | Human Rights Watch (hrw.org) Learning and Resources - Girls Not Brides https://thecommonwealth.org/media/news/working-together-end-child-marriage

As the RCS Working Group Lead for Equality in Europe I believe that we should recognise the contributions and achievements of women* every day. Nonetheless, structural and individual discrimination prevents and impedes women from achieving their full potential. Not one country can claim that they have achieved gender parity. Discrimination, bias and stereotypes are pervasive in all parts of a woman’s life since birth; whether it is through the lack of support to pursue one’s interest in education and a career, unequal pay, as well as the lack of funding of women’s health research, and society’s desensitisation towards women’s pain and suffering. It is important to acknowledge the intersectionality of race, culture and socio-economic factors to understand gender issues. International Women’s Day grew out of the efforts to promote the rights of women and is celebrated annually on 8th March to celebrate the achievements of women today and throughout history, as well as recognising the biases and stereotypes that women face. This year’s International Women’s Day themes are #BreaktheBias (International Women’s Day) and 'Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow', (United Nations). Today, I ask three inspirational women from RCS Branches within Europe to speak about their own achievements and experiences in navigating an unequal world. *Please note that I use an inclusive definition of “woman” that includes anyone who identifies partly or wholly as a woman, transfeminine, or is otherwise significantly female-identified. Professor Daniella Tilbury Daniella is an academic leader and change-maker in sustainable development credited with having developed the initial frameworks for this area of learning. She serves as the Regional Co-ordinator, Europe for the Royal Commonwealth Society and an executive member of RCS Gibraltar. Shefali Verma Shefali is the Vice Chairman of the RCS Wales Branch and is actively involved in non-profit work to support women suffering from domestic abuse and slavery in the UK. Francesca Makey Francesca is the Literary Lead of the RCS Gibraltar Branch, a secondary English teacher and a cancer survivor. She is a passionate advocate of women’s health. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr Hannah Nazri is a specialty trainee doctor in Obstetrics & Gynaecology at NHS England and a DPhil candidate in endometriosis research at the University of Oxford. She is a finalist of the 2020 Women of the Future Award UK (Commonwealth Category) and the Working Group Lead for Equality in Europe for the Royal Commonwealth Society. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Royal Commonwealth Society.

On International Women's Day 2022 members of the Commonwealth Youth Gender and Equality Network joined Chair of the Royal Commonwealth Society Dr Linda Yueh and RCS Ambassador Geri Horner to launch and discuss three new resources: Youth and Women's Leadership Toolkit Report from the CYGEN Workshop on Child Early and Forced Marriage Sexual and Reproductive Health & Rights (SRHR) Commonwealth Policy Review Moderator: Dr Linda Yueh, Chair of the Royal Commonwealth Society Panelists: Geri Horner, Ambassador, Royal Commonwealth Society Nafesha Richardson (CYGEN Coordinator from St. Vincent and the Grenadines) Firhaana Bulbulia (CYGEN ExCo Member - CEFM Lead from Barbados) Contributor for the CEFM Workshop Report Precious Ozemoya (CYGEN ExCo Member - Gender & Governance Lead from Nigeria) Contributor for the Youth and Women Leadership Toolkit Melissa Fairey (CYGEN Member from Canada) Author of the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Commonwealth Policy Review

On Thursday, 10 June 2021 the Royal Commonwealth Society Nigeria Branch organised a public presentation of 2021 edition of The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2021 at Banquet Hall, Government House, Ilorin Kwara State Nigeria to encourage students to participate and enter the 2021 competition. Choose from 8 stunning layouts Your Wix Blog comes with 8 beautiful layouts. From your blog's settings, choose the layout that’s right for you. For example, a tiled layout is popular for helping visitors discover more posts that interest them. Or, choose a classic single column layout that lets readers scroll down and see your post topics one by one. Every layout comes with the latest social features built in. Readers can easily share posts on social networks like Facebook and Twitter and view how many people have liked a post, made comments and more. Add media to your posts When creating your posts you can: Upload images or GIFs Embed videos and music Create galleries to showcase a media collection Customize the look of your media by making it widescreen or small and easily align media inside your posts. Hashtag your posts Love to #hashtag? Good news! You can add tags (#vacation #dream #summer) throughout your posts to reach more people. Why hashtag? People can use your hashtags to search through content on your blog and find the content that matters to them. So go ahead and #hashtag away!

In the beginning: Running the RCS Bath and District Branch during Covid-19 has certainly had its challenges, however our team of trustees has been coming with some excellent alternatives to the usual physical meetings including recently a very successful online Commonwealth Cook Up. Over the past year working mainly on Zoom and other social platforms, we have run a number of events including an AGM and an excellent Christmas party organising by our Honorary Secretary Alan Howe. This time however it was the turn of one of our newer trustees Lotte Veale to set the scene. An ex-student of Bath Spa University and then the Queen Mary University in London, Lotte worked together with Alan, our secretary to create a unique online experience involving members and friends focusing on food from around the Commonwealth. The plan: The event featured meals and recipes from around the Commonwealth and included live links with Canada, Zambia and with international students as well as local members who provided recipes from Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand and beyond. Commonwealth student members from Bath Universities took part together with a Canadian based professor from Bath Spa and our patron the Mayor of Bath. Participants were initially contacted and asked if they would like to take part. If they agreed they were then required to come up with a local dish from their region of the Commonwealth. On the day: On the day each participant was required to present a dish that they had cooked earlier or carried out a live ‘cook up.’ The event was also timed for early evening to take on board International time zones. Around 20 people took part with dishes ranging from street food in Singapore, to roasted caterpillars in Zambia and piping hot maple syrup pancakes live from Ottawa. Members were able to watch as dishes were prepared or presented and then ask questions afterwards also recounting some of their own Commonwealth culinary experiences. Using a real time international network students in Zambia were able to link up with their counterparts in Bath and students could watch as one of their professors and her family beamed live from Canada. Contributions from the other side of the world included Lamingtons from an Australian member in Bath, a UK students who cooked some Anzac biscuits and recipes from New Zealand from a local member and one time employee of the BBC. Not only was there a lot of laughter during the event but it also provided an excellent chance for intergenerational sharing of cultures and ideas. The next step: The event was so successful that it has been decided to go ahead and produce an online Commonwealth Cookbook which if successful may be turned into a printed copy to raise funds for one of our linked Commonwealth charities. The cookbook which is being put by Lotte with help from Alan Howe, is due to be launched at this year’s branch AGM. Contributions are already flooding in and include a recipe from our branch president Annie Maw the Lord Lieutenant of Somerset who spent some time in India and our patron the Mayor of Bath. Lotte also hopes to include in the publication recipes from the Falklands, New Zealand, Africa, Asia and Australia. Sample recipe: Highlights from the event: Cooking maple syrup pancakes live from a kitchen in Ottawa. The live presentation of a plethora of local Zambian dishes from Jasiel in Mufulira including roasted caterpillars. The exchange between students as they compared and contrasted different dishes. Street food from Singapore presented by a local Singaporean member Irene Prentice. Laughter! Final thoughts: Finally I would like to say a big thank you and congratulate our team and all those involved who have worked so hard in organising this amazing event and for the response from members and friends of the Bath and District Branch. Please get in touch with us via our website if you would like to provide any simple local dishes you have cooked to be included in perhaps a second volume. You will also need to submit a picture of yourself, the dish you have cooked, the recipe and a short introduction, please email this information to me via our website. Also look out for further information on our Commonwealth cookbook on our website www.rcsbath.org. Other future local events will be a Commonwealth Picnic (within Covid-19 restrictions) and our 2022 RCS Bath and District Art Competition which is being led by Anita St John Gray who was responsible along with her team in the organisation of our very successful 2021 Art Competition and details of which can be seen on our website.

The Antigua and Barbuda Branch of the Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) was launched on May 31st at Government House in St. John’s. In attendance were: His Excellency Sir Rodney Williams (Patron – third from right); Her Excellency Lady Williams (President – third from left); Resident British Commissioner to Antigua and Barbuda, Lindsy Thompson (second from right) and members of the RCS Executive Board — Patrice Skerritt (extreme left), John Duffy (extreme right) and Joanne Turner (second from left). There are several initiatives which the body will be undertaking over the coming months. One of the first activities to be embarked upon is a national beautification campaign. This will assist with the alleviation of indiscriminate dumping and litter pollution. The organization also intends to collaborate with the National Committee to promote Commonwealth Week, as well as to encourage the youth to highlight the history and function of the Commonwealth.