We study the effect of having an older sister on the likelihood that girls in sub-Saharan Africa marry before reaching adulthood. Relying on the randomness of the firstborn siblings sex, we show that having an older sister (as opposed to an older brother) reduces the likelihood of marrying before the age of 18 by 1.5 percent. In addition, we find that older sisters reduce the likelihood that their younger sisters become sexually active as a teenager, reduce the likelihood that their younger sisters give birth as a teenager, and increase their younger sisters awareness of HIV/AIDS. The estimated effects on childhood marriage are largest in more conservative societies (as measured by the Social Institutions and Gender Index), suggesting that the protective role played by firstborn sisters can be especially important when access to accurate information about sex and reproductive rights is limited.
AbstractIntroductionChild marriage is practiced widely in West and Central Africa with established links to several negative outcomes, particularly for girls. Although some reviews on predictors of the practice of child marriage exist, to date no review has focused on the costs and potential benefits to girls who have experienced child marriage.MethodWe conducted a scoping review of PubMed, African Index Medicus, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Global Health and in the grey literature for studies on child marriage and adjustment up to October 2023. Studies were included if they assessed marriages where the female was younger than 18 at the time of marriage, were conducted in Central and Western African countries, explored positive and/or negative indicators of well‐being and mental health in the context of child marriage, were written in English, were published in a peer‐reviewed journal, or was a published thesis or dissertation, grey literature, or technical report, were conducted between 2014 and 2023, and presented qualitative, quantitative, or mixed‐method data.ResultsBased on the inclusion criteria, we included nine qualitative and four quantitative studies. Using the lens of Self‐Determination Theory, we found that overall child marriage compromised needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Further, child marriage was linked to negative mental health outcomes. However, for some girls, child marriage was associated with some benefits including social recognition and elevated status in society.ConclusionFuture research on adjustment within the context of child marriage should focus on all aspects of well‐being as well as the processes associated with adjustment for girls.
Abstract Drawing on data generated during my doctoral study that involved using participatory visual methodology to work with 15 girls in a rural community in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, I describe and discuss a cellphilm produced by them that focuses on early and forced marriage in their community. I demonstrate how such methodology can enable girls and young women to communicate effectively their complex and nuanced understandings of such marriage and the social and material factors that influence continued support for it. I identify three key learnings drawn from the cellphilm and argue that learning about this practice from those affected by it is invaluable to the design of policy and programming that addresses early and forced marriage in ways that are responsive, relevant, sustainable, and effective.
This brief summarizes the evidence on gender inequality in education in West and Central Africa (WCA), particularly the GIRL Center’s priority countries. It explores attendance, progression, transition to secondary, and re-entry. This brief informs strategies that address persistent inequalities and promote transformative outcomes for adolescent girls in the region.
Mame Soukeye Mbaye, Sarah Engebretsen, Maty Dia et al.
Child marriage is defined as a formal or informal union before the age of 18. As in much of sub-Saharan Africa, the prevalence of child marriage remains high in the Republic of Congo (RoC), in part because educational attainment for girls is low. Based on qualitative fieldwork, this article looks at communities’ perceptions of child marriage and girls’ education and their suggestions for programs and policies that could improve outcomes for girls. The article also discusses potential implications for Catholic and other faith-based schools, as well as faith leaders.
Jean-Christophe Boungou Bazika, Wolf Ulrich Mféré Akiana, Quentin Wodon
Child marriage is defined as a formal or informal union before the age of 18. As in much of Sub-Saharan Africa, the prevalence of child marriage remains high in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in part because educational attainment for girls is too low. Based on qualitative fieldwork, this article looks at communities’ perceptions of child marriage and girls’ education and their suggestions for programs and policies that could improve outcomes for girls. The article also discusses potential implications for Catholic and other faith-based schools, as well as faith leaders.
Our series of four policy briefs, commissioned by the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) East and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO), highlight the need for the enactment of robust legislative and policy frameworks, which are clear, consistent, and in line with international and regional human rights standards; including the Southern African Development Community Model Law on Eradicating Child Marriage and Protecting Children Already in Marriage (SADC Model Law).
The legal and policy frameworks governing marriage in many African countries often presume gender neutrality, thereby failing to address the deeply gendered nature of child marriage and sexual exploitation and abuse. Data from UNICEF and other sources consistently show that child marriage disproportionately affects girls, with significantly fewer boys involved in the practice. Far from ensuring equal protection and benefit of the law, many existing legal provisions reinforce gender inequality by allowing exceptions to the minimum age of marriage or by setting a lower marriageable age for girls, thereby legitimising harmful practices against girls by virtue of these legal loopholes. Focusing on South Africa, the paper illustrates how current marriage laws violate girls’ rights to equal protection and freedom from sexual exploitation. For example, girls aged 15 or older may marry without ministerial or judicial consent, whereas all boys under 18 require such approval. This legal disparity leaves girls uniquely exposed and under-protected compared to their male peers, reinforcing patriarchal norms through discrimination entrenched in legislation. Adopting a feminist and intersectional lens, the article also explores how customary practices such as lobolo and ukuthwala continue to legitimise child marriage. These practices, when intersecting with gender-discriminatory laws, intensify the vulnerability of girls and exacerbate systemic abuse. The article critically examines international, African regional, and sub-regional child rights instruments to assess their gender sensitivity and responsiveness in protecting children, especially girls, from early and forced marriage. Finally, the article calls for urgent legal and policy reforms, including the removal of gender-discriminatory provisions and the implementation of substantive equality measures, alongside efforts to empower girls through legal, educational, and social interventions. These reforms must be accompanied by the dismantling of patriarchal structures and an acknowledgment of the diverse lived realities of girlhood, both essential to ending the systemic legitimisation of child marriage and achieving equal protection for all children.
This scoping review aims to systematically map and synthesize the existing peer-reviewed evidence on the multidimensional nature of screen exposure (SE) and its associations with developmental outcomes among children aged 0–5 years. The review moves beyond the traditional focus on total screen time and considers screen exposure as a multidimensional construct encompassing duration and quantity, content quality and type, context of use, interactivity, caregiver mediation, device type, background exposure, age of onset, and exposure trajectories. The review will examine evidence across three main developmental domains: (1) language and communication development, including receptive and expressive language and vocabulary; (2) cognitive development and executive function, including attention, inhibitory control, working memory, and general cognitive abilities; and (3) socio-emotional development and behavior, including emotional regulation, behavioral difficulties, prosocial behavior, and peer relationships. The review will follow established scoping review methodology, including the methodological framework described by Arksey and O’Malley and updated guidance from the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI). Reporting will adhere to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). The eligibility framework will be structured using Population, Concept, and Context (PCC). The population will include children aged 0–5 years, including typically developing children and community-based samples. Studies focused exclusively on clinical populations without normative or community-based data will be excluded. The concept of interest is multidimensional screen exposure and its relationship with developmental outcomes. No geographic restrictions will be applied, although evidence from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region will be specifically identified and examined. A systematic search will be conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for English-language publications published from January 2016 through July 2026. Eligible studies will include primary empirical research using quantitative measures of screen exposure and validated developmental outcome assessments, as well as relevant observational, experimental, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies. Reviews, editorials, opinion articles, conference abstracts without full text, dissertations, theses, government reports, and other grey literature will be excluded. Study selection will involve independent title/abstract and full-text screening by two reviewers, with disagreements resolved through discussion and consultation with a third reviewer when necessary. Cohen’s kappa will be used to assess inter-rater reliability. Data will be extracted using a standardized and piloted extraction form, including study characteristics, participant characteristics, screen exposure measures, developmental outcome measures, and key findings. Due to expected heterogeneity across study designs, populations, exposure measures, and developmental outcomes, findings will be synthesized narratively and organized according to the three developmental domains. The expected outcome of this review is a comprehensive map of how different dimensions of screen exposure have been investigated in relation to early childhood development. The review is expected to identify consistent and inconsistent patterns across developmental domains, clarify the roles of content, context, caregiver mediation, and exposure trajectories, and highlight important evidence gaps. Particular attention will be given to the limited evidence available from Saudi Arabia and the wider MENA region. Ultimately, the findings are expected to inform future research and support the development of culturally relevant, multidimensional approaches to assessing screen exposure among young children. The review will also provide an evidence base for the development of a multidimensional screen exposure measurement tool appropriate for use with children in the Saudi Arabian context and potentially the broader Middle Eastern region.
Mshari Alghadier, Ragab K Elnaggar, Abdulaziz Ghandurah et al.
AbstractSystems ensure the attainment of goals at any educational level, including quality early childhood education. Various studies focus on the benefits and components of quality early childhood education, yet none emphasise systems that will support early childhood development (ECD) centres in offering quality education. This study explored existing systems that support ECD centres in providing quality education to young children. The study adopted a qualitative research approach and collected data through document analysis and face-to-face interviews with eight participants purposively selected from four ECD centres situated in Pretoria. The data were analysed thematically. The findings revealed that national policies, internally generated policies and financial systems support the participating centres in offering quality education. However, many of the participants did not know the existing national policies. The findings also revealed that ECD centres in the township area do not have financial systems to help them provide quality education. The study recommends effective implementation strategies to foster awareness and enforce strict adherence to government policies at ECD centres. The study contributes to awareness and adherence to quality early childhood education by suggesting that ECD centres, principals and teachers should engage in relevant and practical training on effectively establishing systems from the available national education policies that will help them offer quality education.Contribution: This study adds to the body of knowledge by filling in the gaps on how ECD principals and teachers understand national policies and translate them into systems that assist them in managing their centres on a daily basis. The novelty of this study is the empirical input from different disciplines (Early Childhood Education and Management and Policies Studies), in a way that enables one to comprehend the role of educational management and policies studies at the early childhood learning centres in South Africa, which is the emphasis of the Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa.
