Peer-reviewed article

Child marriage in conflict-affected communities in Yemen: Lived harms, resistance, and enabling pathways for girls’ agency

Abdullah Nagi Alosaimi, Susanne Dahlgren, Amal AlZahmi, Maryam M. Ba-Break, Dima Arafah et al. · 1 Aug 2026

Abstract

BackgroundWhile the global prevalence and consequences of child marriage are well documented, limited qualitative research has examined its lived impacts in conflict-affected Yemen, particularly from the perspectives of girls and communities. Moreover, little attention has been paid to local forms of resistance, agency, and the enabling conditions that support change in fragile and protracted conflict settings.ObjectivesThis study aimed to explore the emotional, social and physical costs of child marriage, examine girls' and communities' resistance strategies including reflection, regret, and hope and identify enabling structures and supportive environments that can facilitate efforts to end child marriage in Yemen.DesignA qualitative study using focus group discussions.MethodsA total of 97 participants were included through purposive sampling, comprising married and unmarried adolescent girls, young women, and adult community members. Sixteen focus group discussions were conducted between September and December 2024 using semi-structured guides tailored to each participant group across three Yemeni governorates (Marib, Sana'a, and Taiz). Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.ResultsParticipants described early marriage as producing interconnected emotional, social, health, and educational harms that reshape girls' life trajectories. Married girls reported psychological distress, restricted mobility, premature domestic responsibilities, maternal health risks, and the loss of educational opportunities. Despite these constraints, girls and community members articulated forms of reflection, negotiation, and aspiration that challenged the inevitability of early marriage. Family support, community awareness, and institutional environments were identified as critical factors shaping girls' ability to delay or resist child marriage.ConclusionChild marriage in Yemen produces cumulative and gendered harms that undermine girls' wellbeing and life trajectories. While conflict intensifies these harms, girls, families, and communities actively negotiate, resist, and reimagine alternatives within constrained environments. Strengthening girls' education, legal enforcement, community-based support, and access to health and social services is essential to advancing girls' agency and addressing child marriage in fragile settings.