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