The summit brought together Heads of state and governments, ministers in charge of gender and traditional affairs, as well as children, first ladies, United Nations (UN) agencies, development partners, civil society organizations, young people, and religious and traditional leaders to take stock of the progress made in ending child marriage across Africa, to identify challenges and share experiences. The summit highlighted the fact that child marriages are a strong reflection of pervasive gender discrimination and have devastating effects on the girl-child and the society. Early marriage has been identified as a key driver of HIV amongst young girls and adolescents. The Outcome Statement from the Summit includes recommendations for setting the minimum age of marriage at 18. The statement also outlines AU member states’ efforts and commitments to eliminating child marriage by no later than 2030. 

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