Child marriage in Maldives remains a quiet issue, particularly affecting young girls with limited access to education and reliable protection services. Although the legal marriage age is 18, exceptions and informal unions have historically placed vulnerable girls at risk.

Rural Pressures and Uneven Access to Education

UNICEF’s 2025 situation analysis reports that, in a 2016 survey, 2% of young women and men ages 20 to 24 had married before age 18. However, families living on remote islands face higher economic insecurity and limited access to secondary schooling. This results from the lack of functioning secondary schools on remote islands, requiring students to travel or relocate, an option that is impossible for many families.

Varying interpretations of national legislation also influences child marriage in Maldives. While national laws set the legal marriage age to 18, judicial exceptions have historically allowed marriages below that age. Family law formerly sanctioned under-18 marriages with court approval surrounding the occurrence of puberty in young girls, reflecting earlier legal frameworks that permitted exceptions. Economic insecurity and educational barriers may increase girls’ vulnerability, although the supplied data do not establish that relationship for particular islands. Supreme Court approval is required for underage marriage and UNICEF data provides more insights.

Journalists and human rights groups have documented cases where girls leave school to marry, often entering households where they have little autonomy. Early marriage can restrict girls’ access to employment and expose them to domestic instability, especially when they marry older men. NGOs working in the Maldives emphasize that education remains the strongest safeguard against early marriage, yet consistent, high-quality schooling varies widely across the archipelago.

Policy Progress and Persistent Challenges

The Maldives has strengthened its child protection laws in recent years. The 2019 Child Rights Protection Act criminalized child marriage; however, UNICEF’s 2025 review notes that other legislation still allows under-18 marriage in special circumstances with Supreme Court approval and recommends harmonizing the laws. Nonetheless, enforcement remains difficult on remote islands, where limited oversight means informal religious ceremonies can bypass legal requirements and go unregistered, leaving girls without the protections that formal documentation is intended to provide.

Child protection officials note that informal marriages are one of the biggest obstacles to enforcing the law. Several cases surfaced involving informal unions that only came to light when girls sought medical assistance after the act had been passed. Incidents like these highlight the need for stronger community-level reporting systems and greater awareness of legal protection.

Collaborative Efforts for Change

Several organizations are actively working to reduce child marriage in the Maldives through education, community engagement and child protection services. UNFPA Maldives, operating in the country since 1976, runs programs across the country focused on empowering girls through providing safe spaces for refuge and education on gender-based discrepancies. Survey findings indicate that child marriage has declined, but the evidence does not attribute this change to any particular organization.

Advocating the Rights of Children (ARC) focuses on raising awareness surrounding children’s rights. In 2009 ARC registered in the Maldives. Since then, campaigns such as ‘Hope’ have operated in the country, working toward preventing child abuse. These initiatives seek to raise awareness of children’s rights and child protection.

Together, education, child protection and community engagement may help strengthen support for vulnerable girls.

A Positive Path Forward

The Maldives’ progress highlights that change is possible when legal reform, community engagement and education come together. By expanding access to schooling, strengthening child protection networks and supporting girls’ ambitions, organizations across the archipelago are helping to ensure that every girl can choose her future freely. While challenges remain, the growing collaboration between communities, NGOs and government agencies offers a hopeful path toward ending child marriage in Maldives and improving opportunities for girls across the islands.

– Lottie Oldreive

Lottie is based in Devon, England and focuses on Technology and Solutions, and Celebs for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr