Malawi has one of the most comprehensive laws against child marriage in Africa after a new bill was passed in 2017 increasing the legal marital age from 15 to 18-years-old. The Marriage Act of Malawi in 2017 protects any girl under the age of 18 from marriage and holds parents or other family members who marry their children off below the age accountable and liable to prosecution. But even with the law, cases of child marriage are still happening but community Watch Groups have been set up to help. This is the story of one girl helped by her local watch group. Family Planning Association of Malawi (FPAM) with money from the Japan Trust Fund supports the watch group by building the capacity of its members. Five members of the Jalasi Watch Group have been trained about the law, policies around the issue of child marriage and how they align with the by-laws. © Photos: James Ngechu

Many sex workers in Uganda end up having unwanted pregnancies often resorting to unsafe abortions. There are many myths and misconceptions about contraception as well as a lack of access. This issue was one of the reasons why Lady Mermaid's Bureau (LMB), a sex workers rights organisation from Kampala, decided to apply for a grant from the Safe Abortion Action Fund (SAAF) in 2013.  Founded in 2002 by a group of former sex workers, the Lady Mermaid's Bureau, the first organization of its kind in the region, works to prevent and reduce unsafe abortions amongst sex workers in Uganda and campaigns to decriminalize abortion and sex work.  The Safe Abortion Action Fund (SAAF) which is hosted by IPPF was set up in 2006 in order to support grass-roots organisations to increase access to safe abortion.  Photography © IPPF/Tommy Trenchard

In the three years since the VODA Uganda project started there have been some incredible results. The project has brought about changes in perceptions about abortion in the community and schools, bringing community leaders and health workers on board, explaining the problems of unsafe abortion and directing girls and women to post-abortion care services. VODA (volunteers of development assistance) is a local, grassroots project funded by the Safe Abortion Action Fund (SAAF). The Safe Abortion Action Fund (SAAF) which is hosted by IPPF, was set up in 2006 in order to support grass-roots organisations to increase access to safe abortion.  Photography © IPPF/Tommy Trenchard