Taking back my pen!

The goal of this project is to foster increased public support to promote girls’ right to go back to school

A pen is a symbol of empowerment, stability and a sense of direction.

Taking back my Pen! is an empowerment statement for adolescent mothers to advance their right to fair formal education opportunities in school in Uganda. During the school lockdown, many girls got pregnant and have been forced to drop out of school. Limited support has been given to them to return to school. Uganda's National Planning Authority estimated in August 2021 that 30 % of all the country's learners would not be going back to school due to teenage pregnancies, early marriages, and child labour. The Ugandan education system allows young mothers to return to school, but many lack a support system at home or means to provide for their babies.
Taking back my pen! is hence raising awareness and engaging 50 girls on advancing their right to school as well as addressing the gender biases bringing related effects such as sexual and gender-based violence, child labour and others in Kakiri Sub County. Girls engage key stakeholders and their voices are amplified through community dialogues and forums for theatre, submitting a position paper back as well as developing and disseminating related content in form of a short film, blogs, pictures, and key messages on social media to engage more audiences.
We are also empowering 80 girls in rural communities with basic writing and presentation skills to enable them to have access to opportunities to develop themselves and positively influence society.
Education provides most girls with opportunities to make informed decisions concerning their lives such as economic development, not being forced into early marriages, and access to information and opportunities.
The project was implemented in partnership with Urgent Action Fund-Africa (2022)

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