Child marriage is common in all humanitarian contexts studied by GAGE. Gendered social norms that see marriage as protecting girls' reputations and families' honor drive child marriage. School leaving, poverty, and peer pressure also contribute. Married girls face limited decision-making, isolation, health risks like early pregnancy, and high rates of violence and divorce. Programs should address both humanitarian drivers and social norms, keep girls in school, empower girls, and support married girls' continued learning, incomes, and access to help. Divorce also carries risks, so prevention is best.

1. Child marriage in humanitarian
contexts: Insights from GAGE
Agnieszka Malachowska
Session # 5
GLOBAL CONSULTATION ON CHILD
MARRIAGE IN HUMANITARIAN SETTINGS
UNFPA-UNICEF GLOBAL PROGRAMME TO END CHILD
MARRIAGE

2. Outline of Presentation
1
• GAGE overview
2
•GAGE findings
3
•Programming and policy recommendations

3. GAGE overview
Please note that the photographs of
adolescents DO NOT capture GAGE research
participants and consent was gained from
their guardians for the photographs to be
used for GAGE communications purposes.
12-year-old Syrian girl in Jordan @ Natalie Bertrams / GAGE 2019

4. Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE):
A longitudinal research programme in the Global South (2015-2024)
By finding out ‘what works,’ for whom, where
and why, we can better support adolescents to
maximise their capabilities now and in the future

5. GAGE 3Cs Conceptual Framework

6. GAGE research sample
6

7. Capturing diversity and the most vulnerable

8. Our tools: exploring how to prevent child marriage
 What factors could potentially
lead the characters to reconsider
child marriage?
 Why?
 Worried about daughter’s
reputation in the
community now that she is
growing up
 Daughter is in love
Who
What
argument
What
behavioural
change

9. Our tools: Exploring how to support married girls

10. GAGE findings
Adolescent girl with her children in Dhaka @ Natalie Bertrams / GAGE 2019

11. Child marriage is common
In all contexts, we have
found girls as young as 12
who are already married.
In all contexts, marriage by
15 is fairly common—
because mid-adolescent
girls are no longer seen as
children.
Nearly all child marriages
are arranged by adults.
Proximate drivers vary by
context—and range from
poverty to peer pressure.

12. Child marriage is common
Gendered
social norms
encourage
child
marriage
everywhere
Ethiopian:
‘I got married
because they
[referring to
friends] got
married.’
(Married girl)
Syrian:
‘People talk about
girls…and we
don't like people
talking about our
daughter.’
(Mother)
Palestinian:
‘I didn’t want to
get married. He
started following
me.’ (Married girl,
Gaza)
Rohingya:
‘She is adult as
her period
started. It’s time
for her marriage.’
(Married girl)
Syrian:
‘Girls get married
because of the
pressure from
families.’ (Married
girl, Lebanon)
Palestinian
‘Parents believe
that marriage is
protection for the
girl.’ (Married girl,
Lebanon)

13. Narratives revolve around marriage as ‘protection’
Protecting girls’ honour
• ‘The respect and honor of a girl can be controlled by her husband.
• A girl can’t be okay without husband.’ (Divorced Rohingya girl)
• ‘The husband is safety.’ (Married Palestinian girl, Gaza)
• ‘People here interfere with each other and talk a lot about girls
’behaviour and clothes.’ (Syrian mother, Jordan)
Protecting families’ honour
• ‘Becoming pregnant before marriage is again a shame for
the family of the girl.’ (Key informant, Ethiopia)
• ‘This is a disgrace to the man if something wrong happens to
touch his daughter's reputation whether in Syria or Jordan, it
will go after him all his life.’ (Key informant, Jordan)

14. Narratives revolve around marriage as ‘protection’
Protecting girls’ day-today lives
• ‘If I can get married I won’t have any tension. I don’t feel tensed if I
have to starve for twice a day. ‘ (Divorced Rohingya girl)
• ‘I am the one who agreed to marry him. My life was hard. I couldn’t
tolerate it.’ (Married Palestinian girl, Gaza)
• ‘If others marry and if she does not marry, she is “haftu”. No one will
marry her in the next years.’ (Adult man, Ethiopia)
Protecting families’ day-to-day lives
• ‘In Jabalia, poor families encourage the early marriage for their
daughters to decrease pressure on their lives.’ (Married
Palestinian girl, Gaza)
• ‘These people need food. I cannot alone support them, but if I
allow one, two and three daughters to marry, the burden will be
hidden from me.’ (Syrian father, Jordan)

15. School
leaving drives
child
marriage
‘Girls prefer
marriage
than to
simply sit
idle.’ (Father,
Ethiopia)
‘I got married
directly after I
dropped out my
school.’
(Married girl,
Gaza)
Intersections with education go both ways

16. Intersections with education go both ways
Child
marriage
drives school
leaving
‘Regarding
education, he said
that it wouldn’t be
beautiful to go to
school after
marriage.’
(Married Syrian
girl, Jordan)

17. The health impacts of child marriage are significant
 Only a few girls use contraception Many girls are completely unprepared
for sexual debut
 Early and repeated pregnancy is
demanded
 Married girls can be deprioritized in the
household for food
‘We have many problems and fights… over
food.’ (19-year-old mother of two, Gaza)
‘They advise, “Have three children only”.
Most people aren’t having more children.
I have taken Depu. By the grace of Allah I
have three children now. How would I
take care of them!‘
(Married Rohingya mother of 3)
‘I am not using [family planning] now–
before I have one child. If you stay
without a child for a longer time, they
will tell you, you are barren.’
(14-year-old married girl, Ethiopia)
‘I did not know anything before this
night…he put the bed sheet over my face to
prevent me from crying and he had sexual
relationship with me. Then, he went out
and I started crying.’
(18-year-old Syrian mother of 4, Jordan)

18. Food can be
weaponized
’My husband
beat me up
with a stick
…Then I didn’t
have food and
water for 3 to
4 days.’
(Married
Rohingya girl)
Sexual abuse is
not uncommon
‘His father tried
to touch me as
well. He
displayed his
genitals to me.
It happened
more times
than I could
count. ‘
(Married Syrian
girl, Jordan)
Mothers-in-law
can incite
violence
‘She asked me
for doing some
household
chores, but I
couldn’t do it, so
she complained
to my husband.
As a result, my
husband shouted
at me and hit
me.’ (Married
girl, Gaza)
Girls’ own
parents are
brought in to
beat them
‘My mother
came and she
hit me here.
my mother in
law called
her.’
(Married
Syrian girl,
Jordan)
Children can be
pawns
‘(My sister in
law) sends her
children to
urinate and
defecates in
front of my
room. She also
hides things and
then accuses
me of theft.’
(Married girl,
Gaza)
Threats to married girls’ bodily integrity come from all corners

19. Marriage is hard
Worries
How to be
good
mothers
Poverty
Violence
Divorce or
a second
wife
Not being
pregnant
fast/often
enough
How to
be good
daughters
-in-law
‘At first, I was not afraid of
getting married. But after
having the experience,
everything changed. It includes
many relationships such as
sexual, mental, physical,
economic and political. I’m
always thinking about what
happens if they are not
satisfied with living with me or
with my husband or with each
other.’ (Married girl, Gaza)

20. Married girls have very limited social support
PRESENTATION NAME AND DATE
Connections with husbands are
limited—sometimes deliberately
‘There was love between us, then
it turned to suspicion, jealousy,
banning of everything. Things
turned upside down. He was a
follower in his family. His salary
went to his family. His time was
for his family. If he was told that
I’m not allowed to go out, that’s
it. We were not allowed to go out
together or hold hands in front of
people. He wasn’t allowed to
smile at me in front of people.’
(Syrian girl, Jordan)
Some girls are isolated
from their natal
families
‘We do not share our
hardships and problems
with anyone, not even
our mothers. Even when
my husband hurts me,
he will still be the only
one I would go to …
because our problems
are private.’
(Syrian girl, Lebanon)
Girls have little to no
access to their peers
‘When a girl is living in her
family’s house, she has
friends. She can receive
them …and she can go to
visit them. But at the
husband’s house he
prevents her from going to
visit her friends. He also
prevents her from receiving
her friends at home.‘
(Mother of a married
Syrian girl, Jordan)

21. Married girls have almost no access to decision-making
 Mobility is limited Husbands are the boss
 Smart phone access is controlled
 Clothing is chosen
‘He likes me to wear short when I’m with
him, when he’s next to me. But, when he’s
not with me, he tells me to wear long. Like,
a long jacket like this or Abaya when he’s
not around at work.‘
(Married Syrian girl, Jordan)
‘He said that I am a child; I am 15 years
old and it is early to have a phone.’
(Pregnant married Syrian girl, Jordan)
‘People’s gossiping is the biggest
challenge that stand in the way of their
freedom. They would ask questions
about where she is going, what she is
doing and assuming she could be doing
shameful things.’ (Married girl, Gaza)
‘Women in our country don’t give their
opinion for anything. Why won’t I listen to
him? I must listen to him if I have to stay
with him.’ (Married Rohingya girl)
In Jordan, married girls are 54% less likely to leave home every day compared to their
unmarried peers.

22. Few married girls are economically empowered
Paid work is limited by
norms a
‘Palestinian girls and
women cannot work.’
(Married girl, Lebanon)
Girls sacrifice security
to offset poverty
‘I sold two of my gold
rings to help them with
the household
expenses.’
(Married girl, Gaza)
Wives’ work can cause
divorce
‘Ones who are married
and gets a job, their
family will be broken
because she’ll earn
money.’
(Married Rohingya girl)

23. Few married girls are economically empowered
Paid work is limited by
child rearing
‘We used to work before
marriage in the fields but
when we get pregnant and
have children, we are no
longer able to work.’
(Married Syrian girl,
Lebanon)
For a few, home-based
businesses provide cash
‘I sew dresses of others.
Firstly, I did it as a
hobby....then when I was
married off, I took a
sewing machine. If I sew a
set of 3 pieces, I am paid
TK100 for that.’
(Married Rohingya girl)
Tools meant to prevent child
marriage leave the married
at risk
‘We don’t have coupons
because my husband and I
are not living alone because I
am still young; I am under the
legal age.’
(Pregnant 15-year-old Syrian
girl, Jordan)

24. Divorce is common—and carries risks of its own
In all contexts, we
found divorce to be
extremely common
amongst girls who
married as children.
Divorce is high
stigmatized and
girls are at risk.
 In Jordan,
adults reported
that high rates
of divorce are
now pushing
down rates of
child marriage.

25. Divorce is common—and carries risks of its own
Girls are blamed
‘We have the traditions… if a girl
come back from her husband as a
divorce after two months or three
months after our wedding… Half of
the community say she’s the bad
one.’ (Divorced Syrian girl, Jordan)
Girls are blamed
‘We have the traditions… if a girl
come back from her husband as a
divorce after two months or three
months after our wedding… Half of
the community say she’s the bad
one.’ (Divorced Syrian girl, Jordan)
Starvation is a real possibility
‘There is no one but my mother in
life… what I will do after the death of
my mother? May be I also will die.’
(Divorced Rohingya girl)
Husbands try to avoid support
‘I went to the court and asked to
divorce him. He came and told that
he would divorce me if I have waived
my rights.’ (Divorced Syrian girl,
Jordan)

26. Don’t forget the boys!
‘I loved to see him married and start
family. Our home is empty, and I wanted
to see his children.’ (Mother of boy
married at 17, soon after his father was
killed, Gaza)
‘It is always our nature that the
difference in age between a husband
and his wife ranges from five to ten
years.’ (Syrian father, Jordan)
 In all contexts, husbands are older than wives. Most child brides marry men at least 5
older.
 In all contexts, husbands have more say into when and who they will marry.
 In all contexts, the ‘price’ that boys pay for child marriage is far smaller.
• But….the child marriage of boys has knock-on costs for girls:
 Boys are married in order to produce
children, which means that brides must
immediately become adolescent mothers
 As the age of husbands drops, it pushes
down the age of wives

27. Programming
and policy
implications
Adolescent girl with her child, ITS in Jordan @ Natalie Bertrams / GAGE 2019

28. Implications to prevent child marriage
1
• Address both layers of drivers—the humanitarian and the normative—
and work to find other ways to protect girls so that families will eschew
child marriage.
2
• Do what it takes to keep girls in school as long as possible.
3
• Work with the ecosystem of actors that surrounds girls and limits their
options.
4
• Empower girls to realise that they have value beyond marriage and
motherhood and help them learn to speak up for what they want.

29. Implications to support married girls
1
• Develop programming to help married girls continue to learn.
2
•Work with young husbands and in-laws to grow support for delayed
pregnancy and better spacing—going door to door as necessary.
3
•Expand support for the survivors of violence—stepping up access to
legal and psychosocial support.

30. Implications to support married girls
4
• Provide recreational opportunities—including access to caring adults
and unstructured downtime with friends.
5
•Work with husbands and in-laws to shift the social norms that constrain
girls’ options and with girls to grow their confidence and voice.
6
•Provide girls with culturally-sensitive training that will help them earn
their own incomes—and financial literacy programming to support smart
management.

31. Contact Us
Dr Nicola Jones, GAGE Director
n.jones@odi.org.uk
Agnieszka Malachowska,
MENA Programme Manager
a.malachowska@odi.org.uk
www.gage.odi.org
@GAGE_programme
GenderandAdolescence
About GAGE:
 Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence
(GAGE) is a nine-year (2015-2024) mixed-
methods longitudinal research programme
focused on what works to support adolescent
girls’ and boys’ capabilities in the second
decade of life and beyond.
 We are following the lives of 18,000
adolescents in six focal countries in Africa,
Asia and the Middle East.