Archive for category: Child Marriage

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Bringing the Focus to Child Marriage in Angola

Child Marriage in AngolaAngola, located on the southwest coast of Africa, has little data on child marriage. However, from the statistics that have emerged, it paints a rather alarming picture. The lack of stories from underage brides can indicate that there has been little investigation into this topic, making it even more crucial that the internet is bringing the focus to child marriage in Angola.

The Hard Facts

Angola’s legal age of marriage is 18. However, this law can have exceptions. If the guardians of a minor believe marriage to be in the best interest of the child, children can marry from as young as 15.

In Angola, 8% of girls are married before they are 15 years old. While this can appear to be a relatively low percentage, that is still 929,000 young girls. The statistic is even higher for brides under the age of 18, at around 30%. This means that at least 2.9 million girls are married before they reach the legal age of marriage in Angola. While child marriage is less common for boys, 6% of boys in Angola also marry before they are 18.

Why is Child Marriage Happening in Angola? 

Gender inequality is a primary cause of child marriage. The perpetuated belief that girls and women are lesser than their male counterparts can contribute to violence against girls. More than 7,000 girls reported in 2020 that they had experienced some form of physical, verbal or sexual violence. And, that same year, there were reports of a further 15,000 cases of violence against children. Violence against women correlates with the increased number of child brides. From 2017 to 2020, the yearly number of reported child marriages rose from 11 to 267.

Young girls are subject to the majority of child marriages, highlighting the strong tie to gender inequality. Girls are valued more for their potential relationships with men, rather than for their own independent futures. Young women will have their development stunted by these marriages, teaching them to rely on their husbands rather than their own skills. 

Additionally, COVID-19 largely affected Angolan girls. Only 19.73% of children attended a school prior to the pandemic and the closure of schools from 2020 puts children at a heightened risk of falling victims to child marriage and/or gender-based violence. Since the schools have been re-opened there is no data to show how many children have returned to school. The children will have been impacted from the years without education, and many are now too old to return to their studies.

The Solutions from The Angolan Government

The Angolan Government are now bringing the focus to child marriage in Angola. It has pledged that by 2030, it will have ended child and forced marriages. It is among 20 countries that have committed to this cause. From 2013, the government has co-sponsored numerous Human Rights Council resolutions which focus on putting an end to child marriage. Amidst this, it also signed a statement at the Human Rights Council which implored a solution to child marriage.

In 2019, the Angolan Government stated that they were in the process of adopting a national strategy to prevent child pregnancies and marriages. The government continues to address the issue of underage marriages, and it is hopeful that with a strategy in place, it can significantly reduce the number of cases.

The Work of Mwana Pwo

Created in 2017, Mwana Pwo is an organization based in Angola that aims to inspire leadership amongst women. Mwana Pwo translates to “girl child” in Chokwe. Maria Malomalo created this organization after going to a clinic for check-ups during her third pregnancy and realizing she was nearly always the oldest woman there. She was only 30 at the time. Maria began to question why so many young girls were marrying and giving birth at such a young age, this led to the creation of Mwana Pwo.

In terms of bringing the focus to child marriage in Angola, Mwana Pwo created the project Just a Child in 2022. The organization Bread for The World funded it, which works to eradicate world hunger. The objective of Just a Child is to reduce the number of cases of child marriage in Angola.

Poverty definitely has links to child marriages. Many families view marriage as a way for girls to escape poverty and simultaneously reduce costs for a household. This is why the work of Mwana Pwo is so essential. By encouraging young girls to become leaders and seek an education, the organization is enabling them to escape poverty independently. 

Mwana Pwo has stated that “The impact of poverty on child marriage is undeniable, but sometimes you also have to ask ‘why don’t they sell their sons? So it’s the whole issue around gender inequality and looking at women as ‘things,’ not as people.” 

The organization has set up facilities that allow young women and girls to develop new skills. Its information hubs provide a place for girls to enroll in courses such as entrepreneurship, IT and business. These skills are life changing and enable young girls to take control over their own futures. The website for Mwana Pwo goes into further detail on the great work it is carrying out and what it has accomplished with donations.

– Katie Gray

Katie is based in Glasgow, UK and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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Ending Child Marriage in Madagascar

Child Marriage in Madagascar

Archaic gender norms and inequalities have been around for centuries. These inequalities still permeate Madagascan culture, leaving young girls under 18 vulnerable to fall victim to child marriages. In 2020, the total number of girls married before the age of 18 was a staggering 12 million per year. 

It is often the context in developing countries like Madagascar that others see girls as women as soon as they begin menstruating, so can begin their duties as a mother and a wife with immediacy. However, girls can start their period as young as 8 years old, at an age where their brain is not even one-third developed yet. 

Who Is Vulnerable?

Girls facing extreme levels of poverty are the most susceptible to child marriage in Madagascar. Nearly 40% of girls in the world’s poorest countries are victims of child marriages; this is twice the global average. This is because impoverished families see marriage – particularly to a wealthier man – as a way to achieve financial security. Poorer regions, such as Toliara, show the highest rates of child marriage in Madagascar. In Toliara, 69% of girls marry before the age of 18.

Low access to education also assists the prevalence of the child marriage route. If getting a substantial education is not feasible for girls in a developing country, families will see marriage for income as their only option. It is often the case that parents will invest in the education of their sons over their daughters if they have limited resources; this choice leaves girls vulnerable to falling victim to their families using them as a commodity in a child marriage.

Solutions To End Child Marriage in Madagascar

Charities like UNICEF and UNFPA are helping in the fight to end child marriage in Madagascar. Despite the introduction of the Law on Marriage and Matrimonial Regimes in 2007 – which sets the minimum age for marriage at 18 for both girls and boys – child marriage practices are still in place in Madagascan communities. Examples of this include “moletry,” which is the marriage of a young girl to an older man for the payment of money to the child’s family, and “tsenan’ampela,” an active girls’ market for prostitution.

However, there is still hope. The Madagascan government has committed to eliminate child marriage by 2030. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 5.3 lays this out – to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Tools that are undergoing development with UNICEF to implement the national strategy include orienting government officials at a regional level, to guide local authorities in developing and implementing action to eliminate child marriage.

The Life Skills Framework

The Life Skills Framework – which focuses on self-awareness skills and community living – was implemented in several Madagascan communes with above average child marriage rates in the early 2020s. UNICEF is making efforts to prioritize the most vulnerable children and families, such as those in poverty with daughters susceptible to falling victim to an arranged marriage. This program explores topics such as the risk of child marriage, the challenges of young parenting and protecting oneself against violence and exploitation. There is a heavy focus on the rights of the child and the illegality of child marriage in the current day.

The implementation of the program long-term may pose an issue, as UNICEF is directly injecting funds instead of the government. It is simply not economically viable for the Madagascan government to prioritize child protection over all else. Nonetheless, this program has been largely successful in its implementation thus far. Men and boys learn about positive masculinity and the effect of the patriarchy on young girls, which would be an otherwise foreign topic to them. Between January 2020 and February 2021, the program reached almost 10,000 children across Madagascar, and from 2021 to 2024, child marriage rates have dropped from 38.8% to 32.4%. However, without funding, this program will have difficulty reaching all of the communities that it should.

Looking Ahead

Child marriage in developing countries is as pervasive an issue today as it has been for centuries. However, the statistics show that the rate of child marriage in nations like Madagascar is steadily decreasing. If initiatives like the Life Skills Framework receive support from communities and governments, the fight to end child marriage can be won.

– Sarina Maloy

Sarina is based in Bath, UK and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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C3’s Fight Against Child Marriage in India

Child Marriage in India Every year in India, early marriage robs millions of girls of their childhood. Forced to leave school, bear children and shoulder adult responsibilities before they are ready, these girls face a lifetime of lost opportunities and bodily autonomy. Despite legal protections, child marriage remains a deeply rooted issue, fueled by poverty, social norms and gender inequality.

At the forefront of efforts to resolve the issue is the Centre for Catalyzing Change (C3), a nonprofit organization working tirelessly to empower girls, shift mindsets and create systemic change. C3 believes that when girls are educated, healthy and supported, they can break the cycle of child marriage and build stronger futures for themselves and their communities.

Understanding the Challenge

Child marriage remains alarmingly prevalent in India, especially in rural areas. According to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), nearly one in four girls in India gets married before the age of 18. Girls forced into early marriage are more likely to drop out of school, experience complications from early pregnancy, suffer from domestic violence and face limited economic prospects.

Behind these statistics are complex factors: poverty, lack of access to education, deeply entrenched gender norms and the belief that marriage offers girls social or economic security. The COVID-19 pandemic only worsened the situation, with reports of rising child marriage rates during lockdowns.

About C3

Founded in 2002, C3 is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization (NGO) dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls across India. C3 envisions a world where all women and girls can realize their full potential, participate in decisions that affect them and live lives of dignity and equality. C3 works at the intersection of education, health, leadership and rights. Its child marriage prevention initiatives rely on community partnerships, grassroots mobilization and evidence-based advocacy.

C3’s Approach to Ending Child Marriage

C3’s multi-layered strategy addresses both the symptoms and root causes of child marriage:

  1. Empowering Adolescent Girls. C3 provides girls with life skills education, leadership training and safe spaces where they can build confidence and support one another. Programs like Girls Champions equip young girls to advocate for their rights, resist pressure to marry early and become change agents in their communities.
  2. Keeping Girls in School. Education is one of the most powerful tools against early marriage. C3 works to increase school retention through scholarships, mentorship programs and girl-friendly school environments. When girls stay in school, the likelihood of early marriage drops significantly.
  3. Engaging Families and Communities. Change doesn’t happen in isolation. C3 actively engages parents, teachers, religious leaders and community elders through awareness campaigns and open dialogue. By fostering understanding of the harms of child marriage and promoting positive alternatives, C3 helps shift longstanding social norms.
  4. Strengthening Policies and Systems. C3 also advocates at the state and national levels to improve enforcement of child marriage laws and to develop adolescent-friendly health and education policies. It partners with government bodies to scale effective programs and to create environments where girls’ rights are protected.

Looking Ahead

In Bihar and Jharkhand—two states with high child marriage rates—C3 has reached more than 100,000 adolescent girls. It has engaged thousands of community members through workshops, leadership training and school-based interventions. With the help of C3 and other advocates, 23 child marriages have already been prevented. Despite progress, it appears ending child marriage in India still requires more effort. Social stigma, poverty and weak enforcement continue to pose challenges. But C3 remains committed by adapting to new realities, scaling what works and deepening its impact.

In 2025 and beyond, C3 aims to:

  • Expand its programs to more high-risk districts.
  • Increase digital outreach and adolescent-friendly tech tools.
  • Deepen partnerships with schools, local governments and grassroots women’s groups.

Ultimately, by empowering girls and challenging harmful norms, C3 is helping build a more just, equal and hopeful India for everyone.

– Meagan Beaver

Meagan is based in Zephyrhills, FL, USA and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Child Marriage in Sudan: A Continuing Crisis

Child Marriage in SudanChild marriage in Sudan continues to be a widespread human-rights violation, bearing critical economic, social and health implications. The practice, predominantly affecting girls, remains intact due to factors such as cultural norms, poverty, lack of education and gender inequality. Despite ongoing efforts, child marriage in Sudan continues to endanger the well-being of women and girls across the country.

The Statistics 

According to UNICEF’s 2022 Child Marriage Factsheet, 650 million women and girls across the world marry before the age of 18. Out of that large quantity, 40 million child-brides are from the Middle East and North Africa, with one of the highest concentrations being in Sudan. Nationally, an estimated 34% of women marry before the age of 18, and 12% before the age of 15. In East Darfur, the statistics are even higher, 57% of women aged 20-39 married before their 18th birthday.

Factors Contributing to Child Marriage in Sudan 

  1. Economic Pressures & Cultural Norms: Poverty significantly increases the risk of child marriage in Sudan, with 54% of girls in the poorest households married before 18, compared to 19% in the wealthiest. Families may receive a mahr, or payment of money and gifts from the groom, creating a financial motive for child marriage. Cultural norms also contribute to child marriage. Many communities prioritize female chastity and view puberty as an ideal time for marriage, as younger girls are believed to be better suited for childbearing and marital roles. Additionally, a 2016 UNICEF study found that girls who had undergone female genital mutilation (FGM) were more likely to be married early.
  2. The COVID-19 Pandemic: The economic crisis that the pandemic brought on led to an increase in child marriage in Sudan. School closures increased the risk of child marriage by 22% per year, and the economic shocks raised the likelihood of marriage by 3% in regions where people pay bride payments. The death of a parent, furthermore, led to orphaned girls ending up in marriages because of the financial trouble. Moreover, the disruption in prevention programs virtually paused child marriage reduction efforts, a blow that activists are still building their way back from.

A Way Forward: Government and NGO Responses 

  1. Legal and Policy Measures: Sudan has introduced two major policy frameworks, supported by UNICEF: the Child Marriage Action Plan (2021-2030) and the Child Marriage National Communications Strategy. The Action Plan is working towards reducing child marriage through education, legal reforms, community outreach and protection services. The Communications Strategy complements this initiative by supporting public messaging campaigns that challenge harmful gender norms and promote girls’ rights. Furthermore, the First Lady of Sudan launched the First Lady Campaign to End Child Marriage, which specifically focuses on the right to education for young girls.
  2. Community Engagement: UNICEF-supported girls’ clubs in 10 Sudanese states foster spaces where mothers, teachers and students can discuss early marriage and promote awareness. These programs, which began in 2014, aim to provide mentorship, health education and advocacy training. Although the programs were disrupted during the pandemic, they have resumed activities and remain an imperative component of the prevention strategy. In high-prevalence areas, furthermore, religious and community leaders are receiving training to advocate against child marriage and support legislative reform efforts.
  3. Education-Based Prevention: Education initiatives are crucial in reducing child marriage in Sudan. The Loreto School for Girls, which the Sudan Relief Fund partner Orla Treacy runs, currently enrolls more than 1,000 girls, many of whom continue to higher education. Furthermore, educational institutions are actively engaged in preventing coercion into early marriage through school-based protections and counseling.

Looking Ahead

While Sudan has established legal frameworks and education-based programs, regional disparities, cultural norms and economic pressures continue to challenge prevention efforts. Coordinated national and local interventions remain central to reducing the prevalence of child marriage across Sudan, and overall, an attempt to reshape the culture that places the value of girls with their ability to reproduce. 

– Anna Chiaradonna 

Anna is based in Philadelphia, PA, USA and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Examining Child Marriage in Russia

Child Marriage in RussiaIn 2015, the headline “Chechen Police Chief Marries Teen Bride Amid Mounting Scandal” appeared in The Moscow Times, before appearing in The Guardian. The image at the top of the article displays a young girl, simply 17, next to the groom, Nazhud Guchigov. When the story first broke, reporters stated that Guchigov was 57, but later amended this to 46. Guchigov’s marriage was a hot topic for several reasons; allegedly, Guchigov utilized his authority as a police chief to intimidate his bride’s parents and he was already married to another woman, and Guchigov made divisive statements regarding the matter on his Instagram.

About Child Marriage in Russia

In Russia, 254,000 girls were married by 15, and 5.4 million were married by 18. Unfortunately, even the best resources and websites on the matter do not provide much information regarding the population of girls who are experiencing coercion to marry. According to Girls Not Brides, an organization dedicated to eradicating child marriage and advocating for young women in developing countries, under Russia’s Article 12 of the Family Code, both men and women must be at least 18 years old to marry. However, there is other legislation that provides loopholes. Under Article 13 of the Family Code, a boy and a girl can marry at younger than 18, but never younger than 14 under special circumstances.

When dealing with child marriage in Russia, the problem runs significantly deeper than laws concerning the age of consent and getting beyond that red tape. Poverty, gender inequality and deep-rooted practices are all factors that influence the rate of child marriage; these factors are incredibly prevalent in modern Russia.

In 2020, the percentage of Russians living in poverty was 12.1%. While poverty has been decreasing throughout Russia, despite the ongoing war with Ukraine, poverty disproportionately affects women. The persistent pay gap and income gap greatly impact the average earnings of women in Russia. The matter becomes worse. As women tend to make less money, a woman’s poverty is then passed down to her children, affecting their access to higher education. Consider this pattern regarding the cycle of child marriage. Higher education is a wonderful resource when offering girls careers and lives outside of being a housewife, yet Russia’s current economy stubbornly limits a woman to that role.

Poverty and Misogyny in Russia

Poverty also exacerbates misogyny, the root cause behind child marriage in Russia. Russia’s domestic violence rate reflects Russia’s sexism and misogyny. Domestic violence against women is abundant in Russia, where 10% of all domestic violence deaths globally take place. For reference, Russia comprises 2% of the world’s population. There is abundant evidence revealing the link between poverty and domestic violence, and living in poverty can intensify violence towards women to immense extremes. Barbara Niess-May of the Safe House Center provides specific data points to make this point clearer: “In short, being poor further entraps the survivor in the abuse, and often lengthens any process she may go through to escape.” Returning to Russia’s domestic violence, the poverty disproportionately affecting women easily becomes a tool, manipulated by the abuser to keep the victim beneath him.

In a study by Marina Pisklakova-Parker, titled “Gender Issues in Russia,” she found that “71 percent of Russians share the opinion that the main purpose of a woman is to be a mother and a good housewife.” More concerningly, she also reported that “The Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatiana Moskalkova publicly stated that since 10 April 2020, the number of domestic violence cases had more than doubled from 6,054 to about 13,000 per month.”

The Work of the ANNA Center

Despite the previously mentioned statistics, there is a growing feminist movement within Russia. The government has pledged to end child marriages in Russia by the year 2030; the United Nations has also made it a global goal to end all child marriages. Foreign aid plays a critical role when advocating for girls and women inside Russia, and the efforts have not been in vain. According to Bearr.org, there are 2% fewer domestic violence murders and 6% fewer rapes. Marina Pisklakova-Parker, the previously mentioned researcher, created The ANNA Center, the first domestic violence shelter for women in Russia, in 2015. Following the ANNA Center is the Zona Prava, the Consortium of Women’s Non-government Organizations, Nasiliu and the You Are Not Alone Network as the leading Russian NGOs combating violence against women, which includes child marriage. 

The impact of these shelters is no small feat, and sparked great change throughout the country of Russia. Pisklakova-Parker’s ANNA shelter is open to all women, no matter their income or residential address, two factors that make state shelters inaccessible to many women. To gain entry to a state shelter, women had to bring documentation of their husbands’ finances. In implementing this rule, many women are so longer able to utilize the shelter’s safety, as it would demand that they confront their abusers about their leaving. ANNA has no such rule, and is open to whoever needs the shelter. There is no public information containing how many women ANNA has helped, but in interviews, Pisklakova-Parker speaks positively of the growth of the shelter.

Nasiliu

Operating alongside ANNA, Nasiliu is an online resource for victims of domestic violence. Anna Rivinia established Nasiliu in 2015, beginning as a media project that focused on raising awareness of domestic violence in Russia. As recently as April 18, 2024, Nasiliu has expanded to global outreach for all Russian-speaking victims across the world. Most admirably, Nasiliu provides education on how to combat domestic violence legally within the framework of the Russian legal system.

– Peyton Worsham

Peyton is based in Jacksonville, FL, USA and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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4 Organizations Helping to End Child Marriage in Ecuador

child marriage in EcuadorIn Ecuador, about 22% of girls get married before they reach the age of 18. The reasons this happens vary from families trying to escape poverty to violent groups using these children as a recruitment tactic for gaining more soldiers. However, no matter the reason child marriage can deeply hurt both the community and the children themselves. Most child marriages often come with the added expectation of having children, which can force the child out of school and put said child in danger of facing multiple health complications. This not only robs them of their life, but also the family of the child now faces a lower chance of breaking the poverty cycle. Here are some organizations that help end child marriage in Ecuador:

UN Women

Originally founded in 2010 as a part of the United Nations, U.N. Women has been helping with women’s rights all over the world. Its latest contribution to ending child marriage in Ecuador was in 2015 when it pressured multiple Latin and Central American countries to enforce 18 as the legal marriage. For Ecuador specifically, U.N. Women helped reform the law to have the legal age of marriage as 18.

Nada Foundation

Created by a human rights activist, Nada Al-Ahdal in 2015, the Nada Foundation works to fight and advocate against child marriage all over the world. While a lot of her most well-known work took place in the Middle East, Nada and her organization have advocated to help end child marriage in Ecuador, mainly by helping survivors of child marriage and giving girls better access to education in hopes of lowering the chances of getting married prematurely.

Parliamentarians for Global Action

The Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) is an organization that works to improve human rights on a global scale. This includes women’s rights and helping with the abolition of child marriage. PGA has a campaign where it talks to legislators to better address the issue of child marriage, including Ecuador. In 2022, they also worked in collaboration with Girls Not Brides to strategize with the National Group in the National Assembly of Ecuador.

Girls Not Brides

Originally founded in 2011, Girls Not Brides focuses its efforts on an international scale and often works with other organizations in different countries to help with their goal of eliminating child marriage. In Ecuador, it has two listed partners, Let Girls Rise and Sendas.

Child marriage directly hurts the family of the bride and the child herself, but helping to fight it gives these children better hope for the future.

– Jose Gabriel Lopez

Jose is based in London, UK and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Child Marriage in Andorra

Child Marriage in Andorra

Despite Andorra’s modest geographic size, the country is known for its Romance Catalan language and strong diplomatic spirit. Above all these fascinating features, Andorra has a lengthy history of underage marriages as defined by the 1995 Andorra Marriage Law. With the approval of the child’s guardians, this law permits 16-year-olds to marry. The United Nations (U.N.) Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) are two active organizations that aim to end child marriage and bring social stability.

Reproductive Freedom for Young Girls

According to the CRC, teenagers in early marriages have the right to seek reproductive and sexual health facilities when in need. Particularly, many teenage females suffer the most from these early marriages. They typically endure domestic violence from their partners. Additionally, they can fall pregnant at an early age, which may trigger mental health problems down the road.

However, the country criminalizes abortion in all circumstances and doesn’t offer domestic exceptions, even for rape, incest or health risks. As a result, people who seek abortions, including underage girls, are forced to travel to Spain or France. In response, the CRC in September 2023, expressed grave concern over Andorra’s total ban. Similarly, CEDAW recommended legal reform so that women and girls, including minors, don’t have to leave the country to access essential reproductive care.

UN Push Leads to Andorra Child Marriage Ban

In 1996, Andorra implemented a recommendation from the U.N. Committee to standardize the minimum legal age for marriage at 18 for both boys and girls. However, despite this early move, concerns persisted over loopholes in the country’s legal framework that still allowed underage marriages under certain conditions. In 2023, the issue resurfaced when the U.N. took note of recent amendments to the Qualified Act on Persons and Families. These reforms reinforced the prohibition of child marriage. These updates provided a more explicit and enforceable legal ban, making the country’s stance on the issue more straightforward.

The U.N. Committee suggested an act to standardize the minimum legal age for marriage at 18 for both boys and girls. Andorra implemented this recommendation in 1996. The U.N. brought up the subject again in 2023 after seeing that the Qualified Act on Persons and Families, a recently amended law, had been reinforced to outlaw child marriage. This allows for a more straightforward and apparent ban on this issue.

That same year, CEDAW called on Andorran communities to end underage marriage entirely. The Committee criticized provisions that permitted marriage as early as age 14 with judicial approval and age 16 under specific circumstances. CEDAW urged Andorra to fully align with international standards by establishing 18 as the absolute minimum legal age for marriage, without exceptions.

Further back in 2015, during the Universal Periodic Review by the U.N. Human Rights Council, Andorra had already agreed with CEDAW’s recommendations to strengthen child protection laws. As part of its broader human rights commitments, Andorra ratified the Council of Europe Convention to prevent and combat violence against children and conflict-related crimes. Under this framework, forced marriages, whether involving adults or minors, are now classified as a form of sexual abuse.

Final Remarks

Andorra has taken a pivotal stance against child marriage, guided by unwavering support for the two global groups. Andorra continues to establish child rights that adhere to universal standards. Legislative modifications and the cautious assembly to hold meetings helped examine these pressing issues and served to support this. Andorra’s commitment to safeguarding adolescents’ health assists in minimizing the adverse social and health effects of unlawful marriages.

– Janae Bayford

Janae is based in Centennial, CO, USA and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Protecting Futures: Addressing Child Marriage in Rwanda

Child Marriage in RwandaChild marriage in Rwanda is being tackled through education and advocacy, helping communities to unite and confront the harmful practice, creating a safer future for young women and girls.

Today, approximately 38,800 girls in Rwanda are married before the age of 15 and 424,900 married before 18. This practice has direct links to poverty as struggling families see early marriage as a means for financial relief. However, Rwanda is implementing strategies to tackle child marriage by addressing the root causes.

Legal Protections

The Rwandan government has raised the legal marriage age to 21. This law aims to protect girls from early marriage, allowing them to complete their education.

Mandatory documentation checks help to enforce the law, closing loopholes that previously allowed child marriage in Rwanda to fly under the radar. Additionally, there are awareness campaigns about the consequences for breaking the law which community leaders support. These consequences can act as deterrents, helping people to understand the seriousness of the law.

Education Programs

Access to education is central to preventing child marriage in Rwanda. The “Girl’s Education Policy,” launched in 2008, has increased girls’ enrolment in primary and secondary schools by 15%. This policy promotes gender equality through mentorship programs and savings groups for girls.

UNICEF has also supported girls’ education in Rwanda through initiatives like the GIRL program (Girls In Rwanda Learn), which provides learning support for girls at risk of dropping out of school. The scheme helps to address challenges such as academic struggles and limited resources, aiming to empower girls to stay in school and advance their education in spite of familial and economic pressures that may lead to early marriage. 

Community Involvement

Community-based efforts are deconstructing cultural norms that accept child marriage as commonplace. For example, the 12+ Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program hosted workshops and seminars to empower girls, build new skills and educate on the risks of early marriage. With almost 100,000 girls reached, the initiative strengthened young girl’s self-confidence and reduced the risk that they and their families might see child marriage as the only option for economic security.

Economic Empowerment

Economic pressure is one of the main reasons behind child marriage in Rwanda. However, the country has introduced initiatives to tackle this. For example, vocational training programs equip girls with practical skills in jobs such as tailoring, hairdressing and farming. These skills give young women and girls a route to financial independence, helping them to provide for their families without relying on early marriage. These programs are also open to young girls who have already been a victim of child marriage or who are young mothers.

Support for Victims

Rwanda has support systems in place for victims of child marriage. Similar to the vocational training programs, community-based girls’ clubs provide safe spaces where survivors can share experiences, receive emotional support and gain critical skills to help them reclaim their lives.

Reintegration programs that local organizations provide such as the “Imbuto Foundation” offer counseling to help girls, who have been married early or teenage mothers, navigate any difficulties as they rebuild their lives. Once again, vocational training through these programs also gives survivors the tools for financial independence, allowing them to break free from cycles of dependency.

Progress and Challenges

So far, efforts to reduce child marriage have seen the percentage of women, aged 20-24, married before 18 lowered to 6%. This number reflects the effectiveness of the legal reforms, education initiatives and community advocacy.

Despite this progress, one in 20 young women still marry as children. The practice largely persists in rural areas where poverty, limited resources and ingrained cultural practices hinder further improvements. However, the progress so far proves that Rwanda can overcome these barriers. With continued investment, awareness and collaboration a freer future can be ensured for all young girls in Rwanda.

– Amber Lennox

Amber is based in Suffolk, UK and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Child Marriage in Colombia: New Law and Future Implications

child marriage in colombiaAfter renewing legislation in November 2024, Colombia is now one of 12 countries out of the 33 in Latin America and the Caribbean to ban marriage under the age of 18, following the lead of other countries such as Honduras, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Data shows that 4.5 million girls and women in Colombia marry before 18, which equates to about a quarter of the population. Of this figure, approximately 1 million married before their 15th birthday.

This law is pivotal considering the previous backlash towards attempts to make a change. While rights groups have campaigned to end the practice of child marriage in Colombia for 17 years, bills were shot down as many representatives of the country’s more than 100 Indigenous communities opposed the bill, The Guardian reports.

The Effects of Child Marriage

Indeed, this law had a detrimental impact on girls seeing as rates of childhood marriage in girls are about three times higher than for boys. Children living in poverty and rural or Indigenous communities are those who were particularly affected, being forced to drop out of school and likely becoming exposed to domestic violence, according to The Guardian. Therefore, child marriage in Colombia and around the world perpetuates the cycle of poverty by possibly preventing those children from seeking an education that may allow them to take up a tertiary or quaternary profession in the future.

Problematically, child marriages were often between girls in poverty and an older partner with economic power. While it is crucial to address child marriage to reduce poverty, it is still “most common in the world’s poorest countries and the poorest households.” Girls from poor families are twice as likely to marry before 18 as girls from wealthier families, and the girls who marry young are more than twice as likely to remain poor.

Food insecurity and malnutrition may lead to child marriage as families with limited food resources may try to marry their daughters to ease food concerns. Moreover, a lack of education can also be a fundamental barrier to the welfare of young girls in low-income communities. Girls with no education are three times as likely to marry by 18 as those with a secondary or higher education.

Positive Future Implications on Poverty

The approval of the law is an important first step toward positive change. It will lead to a national education program that gives young people the tools they need to think about their futures. Therefore, while poverty often exacerbates child marriage, programs that provide families with income-generation opportunities or financial support have the potential to tackle the roots of the problems that led to child marriage from the outset.

These initiatives and the new law could hopefully protect girls from child marriage and facilitate broader efforts to shift social norms. However, while this paves the way for improvements, there is still a long way to go. For example, Plan International stresses the importance of promoting equal rights for girls and adolescents in Colombia.

Overall, while November 2024 marks the beginning of legal change regarding child marriage in Colombia, ongoing efforts are necessary to shift social norms and move focus away from child marriage and into education systems. Child marriage, a byproduct of the economic strain of poverty, means that more work is necessary fix the roots of the problem. Indeed, investing in education systems and providing economic opportunities to impoverished communities can help resolve such issues.

– Amani Almasri

Amani is based in Durham, UK and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Initiatives that Empower Girls’ Education in India

Girls’ Education in India
Only one in three girls in India complete secondary school. High-quality girls’ education is crucial in equipping girls with the right skills for equal job opportunities to boys and in escaping generational poverty. When women can earn money, they are also able to contribute back to their community. Although poverty rates in 2023 have fallen to around 5%, inequality has risen in India. Gender disparities including in literacy and education have resulted in poverty rates for women to be 21%, compared to 15% for men. Therefore, these initiatives focused on girls’ education in India have been significant in reducing poverty and improving India’s overall economy.

Nearly one in four girls in India are in a marriage or union before their 18th birthday, primarily due to their families’ financial struggles and deep-rooted social norms. Early and child marriages are highly prevalent in Indian societies, disproportionately impacting girls and their education as their priorities change to domestic duties. A lack of feminine hygiene systems in schools and parent’s awareness about the importance of girl’s education, also challenge girls’ education in India. After voicing these concerns, initiatives have been implemented to begin to overcome these challenges and empower girls’ education in India.

UNICEF and Gender Equality

UNICEF India’s 2018-2022 initiative aims to improve India’s overall gender equality. Many girls in particular drop out of school early because of marriage. Consequently, adult literacy in India is lower among women than men. UNICEF’s initiatives have been productive on a national and district level, having supported large government programs in reducing child marriage and Panchayats in becoming “child marriage free.”

For example, by making it easier to report a child’s marriage to the authorities and promoting girls’ education rather than marriage. It is more likely for girls to stay in education when they postpone marriage beyond the legal age, which results in a more educated and empowered population. Women’s literacy levels are also important for their health and their ability to access help in case of domestic abuse.

UNICEF advocates for a more gender-responsive approach to the curriculum. This includes changing the language and images in textbooks to not perpetuate gender stereotypes and encouraging more women to pursue STEM subjects. Facilitating girls’ and boys’ clubs- those who are out of school and most vulnerable can safely continue their learning. UNICEF also encourages girls to participate in sports and activities such as photography.

The WASH program improved schools’ infrastructure and girls’ access to menstrual hygiene management. For example, under law, it is now mandatory for schools to provide well-equipped, separate gendered bathrooms.

Government Schemes

Launched in 2015, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) aims to address gender inequality by educating locals about the importance of investing in girl’s education. By openly challenging the social norm of girls’ education, it makes social policies that tackle gender inequality more effective. For example, introducing families to girls’ scholarships at university. Through the program, local data about girls’ education could also be analyzed, including which areas girls were most vulnerable to dropping out of school and identifying where extra support is needed to bridge India’s gender educational gap.

Looking Ahead

Although the gender gap in India’s education remains, its government and UNICEF initiatives have been foundational in India’s progress toward greater quality and access to girls’ education. Continuing to highlight and celebrate the benefits of empowering girls’ education could lead to greater social policy changes that reduce gender inequality as well as overall poverty in India.

– Liling Zhang

Liling is based in Manchester, UK and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pixabay