Girls Not Brides

What Girls Not Brides does

Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage is a UK-registered charity and company limited by guarantee, founded in 2011 by The Elders and operating from London with staff distributed across Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean. The organisation functions as a global membership-based convening and coordination platform rather than a product company, bringing together more than 1,400 civil society organisations across nearly 100 countries, of which 82% work directly in communities and 40% identify as youth-led. Its primary stakeholders are civil society organisations (members), governments and multilateral institutions, and the research and donor communities, all served through National Partnerships and Coalitions, the CRANK research coordination network of 600+ members, and a suite of free knowledge products.

Core technology consists of a multilingual (English, Spanish, French) website hosting the Child Marriage Atlas (interactive global prevalence and legal-framework visualisation on UNICEF data), the CRANK research-to-action platform, a searchable Resource Centre of publications and toolkits, and the Theory of Change framework. Capacity-building offerings include the monthly Learning Series webinars, the MBALP flagship training programme, and the Malawi Accelerator Programme (MAP) delivered with Norad and UNFPA-UNICEF. Revenue is grant-funded from governments, foundations, and multilateral sources, with a landmark gift from MacKenzie Scott enabling catalytic country investment; the organisation does not sell products or services and charges no membership fee.

Name

Girls Not Brides

Legal name

Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage

Website

https://girlsnotbrides.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Marriage Prevention Advocacy

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD), Gender Equality & Women’s Rights (BPADAGAF)

Keywords

• Child marriage prevention
• Global partnership network
• Gender rights advocacy
• Civil society coalition
• Humanitarian movement building

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grants and Foundation Funding: The Girls Not Brides secretariat is primarily funded through grants from governments, foundations, and multilateral sources. This includes a landmark philanthropic gift from MacKenzie Scott enabling catalytic investment in countries where child marriage is most prevalent.
2. Government and Institutional Grants: Funding from bilateral donors such as The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) for specific programmes like the Malawi Accelerator Programme (MAP) implemented through the UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to End Child Marriage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Girls Not Brides is a non-profit global partnership that convenes more than 1,400 civil society organisations across nearly 100 countries to end child marriage. It delivers its mission through free member services (capacity building, networking, peer learning), evidence and knowledge products (the Child Marriage Atlas, CRANK research network, Resource Centre, Theory of Change framework), country-level National Partnerships and Coalitions, and collective advocacy targeting governments, donors, and multilateral institutions. The secretariat is funded by grants and donations and does not sell commercial products or services.

Product overview

Girls Not Brides is The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage — a global network of more than 1,400 civil society organizations in nearly 100 countries. The organization functions as a convening and coordination platform rather than a single product company. Its core offerings include the Child Marriage Atlas (interactive global data tool), The CRANK research coordination platform, a Resource Centre with searchable materials, and various capacity-building programs including MBALP and the Learning Series. The partnership is structured around National Partnerships and Coalitions at country level, supported by a Theory of Change framework and guided by the 2026-2030 Strategy. Girls Not Brides operates as a network organization enabling collective action, knowledge-sharing, and advocacy rather than selling software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Child Marriage Research to Action Network (The CRANK): A global knowledge-sharing and research coordination platform that brings together researchers, practitioners, policymakers and funders to strengthen the global response to child marriage through evidence-based action. The CRANK has over 600 members from around the world.

Products and services

• Child Marriage Atlas Interactive online tool providing comprehensive data on child marriage for every country, including prevalence rates, trends, drivers, legal frameworks and the Girls Not Brides member organisations working in each location. Built on UNICEF data and intended for practitioners, researchers, advocates, policymakers and journalists.
• The Child Marriage Research to Action Network (CRANK) Global knowledge-sharing and research coordination platform bringing together researchers, practitioners, policymakers and funders to strengthen the global response to child marriage through evidence-based action.
• Resource Centre Searchable database of reports, policy briefs, fact sheets, toolkits and other materials on child marriage produced by Girls Not Brides and other organisations working to end child marriage. Available free of charge.
• National Partnerships and Coalitions Country-level networks of Girls Not Brides member organisations that coordinate advocacy, share learning, and engage with communities and governments at national level. 13 formal National Partnerships have signed MoUs, with additional coalitions under development.
• Movement Building and Advocacy Leadership Programme (MBALP) Flagship capacity-building initiative comprising online modules and in-person training that strengthens leadership, advocacy and movement-building skills among activists and civil society leaders working to end child marriage. Currently delivered as a Malawi-focused programme funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).
• Learning Series on What Works to End Child Marriage Monthly online webinar series bringing together diverse stakeholders to share learning, evidence and experiences on themes related to ending child marriage.
• Theory of Change Public framework setting out the range and combination of approaches needed to address child marriage and the role each actor has to play in advancing girls' rights. Used by member organisations and partners to design programmes and advocacy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduce child marriage prevalence from 1 in 5 to 1 in 7 by 2030
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• The ElderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGirls Not Brides was initiated in September 2011 by The Elders, a group of independent global leaders working together for peace and human rights. The Elders wanted to focus attention on harmful practices holding girls and women back and to empower others to build a world free from child marriage. Girls Not Brides became an independent charity in 2013.
• UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to End Child MarriagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGirls Not Brides co-leads the CRANK (Child Marriage Research to Action Network) with UNFPA-UNICEF. The partnership coordinates the global child marriage research agenda and supports evidence-based action. Girls Not Brides also receives funding through this programme for country-level initiatives like the Malawi Accelerator Programme (MAP).
• Mabel Van OranjecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal champion and advocate to end child marriage, playing a significant role in the founding and continued leadership of the movement.
• Mrs Graca MachelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal champion and advocate to end child marriage, providing high-level advocacy and visibility for the movement.
• Girls First FundstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Girls Not Brides to produce analysis of international funding to end child marriage (2015-2024), understanding funding flows and gaps.
• Publish What You FundstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided input to the joint report with Girls Not Brides and Girls First Fund analysing international funding to end child marriage.
• National Partnerships NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGirls Not Brides supports National Partnerships and coalitions in 13+ countries including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda, Bangladesh, Nepal, Netherlands, UK, Guatemala, USA. These networks coordinate member organisations at country level for collective advocacy and action.
• Member OrganisationscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner1,400+ civil society organisations across nearly 100 countries make up the core partnership. Members range from grassroots community-based organisations to large international NGOs, working across health, education, human rights and humanitarian contexts.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Save the Children: One of the largest global children's rights and child-protection organisations, with active child marriage programming. Comparable in scale, donor base, and advocacy posture but with a much broader child-rights mandate.
• UN Women: The United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. Highly comparable because it works on overlapping policy/advocacy agendas including child marriage, draws on similar UN/multilateral funding streams, and operates globally — but with a much broader mandate beyond child marriage.
• UNICEF: UN agency focused on children's rights and well-being. Girls Not Brides co-leads CRANK with the UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to End Child Marriage, making UNICEF one of the closest institutional partners and the most directly comparable peer in child-rights advocacy and programming.

Direct peers

• Plan International: A global children's rights and girls' equality organisation that directly addresses child marriage through country programmes and advocacy. Highly comparable in mission, target population (girls), and global membership/donor model — and a natural competitor for the same bilateral and foundation funding.
• International Center for Research on Women (ICRW): A global research institution focused on advancing gender equality, including child marriage research. Directly comparable through its evidence-generation role that complements Girls Not Brides' CRANK research network and shared donor base.
• Women Deliver: A global advocacy organisation focused on gender equality and the health and rights of girls and women, including child marriage. Directly comparable as a global partnership/advocacy platform convening civil society, governments, and multilaterals on girls' rights issues.
• Equality Now: An international human rights organisation working to end violence and discrimination against women and girls, including legal advocacy against child marriage. Directly comparable in the gender-equality/advocacy niche with a similar global-to-country operating model.
• ChildFund International: A child-focused NGO working across communities in the Global South, with child marriage prevention as part of its programming. Comparable in operating model (community-based, member-supported, global reach) and target beneficiary population (children, especially girls).
• Malala Fund: Founded by Malala Yousafzai, the fund advocates for 12 years of safe, quality education for every girl, with child marriage as a core driver. Highly comparable mission focus on girls' rights and empowerment, comparable funder base (major foundations and high-profile champions), and similar global advocacy posture.

Emerging players

• Global Fund for Children: A grantmaking and partnership organisation that funds grassroots organisations working for children's rights, including on issues like child marriage. Comparable as a partnership/funders-of-local-NGOs model supporting similar grassroots actors in the same geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/girlsnotbrides
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/girlsnotbrides
• Facebookfacebook.com/GirlsNotBrides
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/girlsnotbrides
• Instagraminstagram.com/girlsnotbrides_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Girls Not Brides