The Break Free! programme aims to equip adolescents and youth to exercise their right to live free from teenage pregnancy and child marriage, supported by civil society. Strengthening youth advocacy on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) issues forms an important component of young people being able to claim their rights, yet limited evidence is available on what successful forms of youth advocacy are, what strategies work in the long-term for youth advocates, and how youth themselves experience being involved in youth advocacy at community, national and regional levels.

The overall objective of this study was to identify factors that make youth-led and or youth-involved
advocacy successful towards achieving national level goals and targets in the Break Free! programme
in Malawi. Specifically, the study aimed to address:

• How does the engagement of youth advocates contribute to reaching national advocacy goals
  of the Break Free! programme?
• How are youth advocates using (national, pan-African and community level) advocacy spaces
  under the Break Free! programme for issues relating to child marriage, early pregnancies and
  girls’ education?
• What are the supporting factors and barriers that affect youth advocates’ meaningful
  engagement and leadership in these spaces?