Institutional measures around education [31] The retention of children in school is essential to preventing child marriage and mitigating its effects. States Parties must put in place measures to retain all children but especially girls in school and to raise awareness about the importance of their education.21 States Parties should pursue policies and plans designed to achieve equal access by girls and boys to education. These policies should include measures to encourage pregnant girls to keep attending or returning to school.22It is compulsory for States Parties to facilitate the retention and re-entry of pregnant or married girls in schools and to develop alternative education programmes such as skills acquisition and vocational training in circumstances where women are unable or unwilling to return to school following pregnancy or marriage.23 [32] Policies for equal access might also include giving incentives to parents to send their girls to school, ensuring that sanitary facilities are available to girls at school or reducing the exposure of girls to violence at or whilst making their way to school. Other best practice measures that have shown to be successful in keeping girls in school include bursary programmes targeting teenage girls in high-risk areas and the establishment of new educational facilities in rural areas. [33] States Parties should ensure that school policies and regulations allow or require for teachers to intervene if they become aware or suspicious that a girl is 21 As required by Article 17(1) of the African Charter, Article 12(c) of the Maputo Protocol and Article 11 of the African Children’s Charter. 22 As required in terms of Article 11(3)(d) and Article 11(6) of the African Children’s Charter. 23 Article 11(3)(d) and (e) of the African Children’s Charter and Article 12(2)(c) of the Maputo Protocol. 18