In Indonesia, marriage age reform has been implemented by raising the minimum age limit to 19 years as an effort to prevent child marriage. However, in practice, this reform faces dispensations that were initially designed as emergency exceptions but have instead become the primary mechanism of implementation, normalising exceptions and shifting the logic of protection to procedural compliance. This article analyses the transformation of these dispensations and their implications for girls' reproductive health rights at the grassroots level. Using a qualitative juridical-empirical approach with a case study in Nyawangan Village, Tulungagung, data were collected through interviews with KUA officers, health workers, and village officials, as well as observations and document reviews. Framed by the Effectiveness of Law theory, the article reveals that dispensations operate as the practical face of reform through routine administrative processes, driven by social, economic, and institutional pressures, with minimal substantive intervention. As a result, considerations of reproductive health and the psychosocial readiness of girls are often overlooked, creating a gap between procedural legality and substantive protection. This article recommends reinstating dispensations as high-threshold exceptions, subject to strict evidentiary standards, standardised health assessments, and cross-institutional coordination focused on delaying marriage. The implication is that marriage-age reform must be firmly embedded at the normative level and supported by governance that truly centres on the best interests of girls.
Child marriage impacts the low quality of the family, both viewed from the unpreparedness psychologically in facing social issues and household economics. It also triggers the occurrence of domestic violence. To analyze the factors that influence child marriage among female adolescents in South Bengkulu Regency. This research is quantitative research using a cross-sectional research design, data were collected using questionnaires from 286 respondents with accidental sampling technique. Data analysis was carried out with univariate analysis, bivariate using the Chi-Square test and multivariate using linear logistic regression test. Research Results: Education has a significant effect on child marriage in South Bengkulu Regency with p-value 0.000 <0.05 and chi square 286 > 5.99. Economic status has a significant effect on child marriage in South Bengkulu Regency with p-value 0.020 <0.05 and chi square 207.2 > 5.99. Knowledge has a significant effect on child marriage in South Bengkulu Regency with p-value 0.004 <0.05 and chi square 149 > 5.99. Parenting style has a significant effect on child marriage in South Bengkulu Regency with p-value 0.025 <0.05 and chi square 221.4 > 3.84. The most dominant factor influencing child marriage in South Bengkulu Regency is the education factor with the highest coefficient value (B) of 2.690 and p-value 0.000 <0.05. It is advisable to provide counseling to adolescent children, especially at the secondary school level, so they are not tempted to enter into early marriage so that these children obtain good information about the impacts of child marriage.
Yeti Indarni, Susilawaty Susilawaty, Tuti Rohani et al.
Abstract Background Despite child marriage receiving increased attention over the past two decades, research on child marriage in humanitarian settings remains scarce. This study sought to quantify child marriage among Somali adolescent girls residing in Kobe refugee camp in Ethiopia and to identify its correlates and consequences. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted using multi-stage cluster-based sampling with probability proportional to size. We randomly sampled households that have at least one female aged 15–49 and at least one adolescent female aged 10–19. In addition to calculating the proportion of girls married under age 18, we used survival methods – namely Kaplan Meier graphs and Cox proportional hazard models – to identify risk factors associated with child marriage in this context. We also used descriptive statistics to describe marital age preferences among female adults and presented measures of important sexual and reproductive health indicators among married adolescent girls. Results A total of 603 adult women were surveyed and a household roster was created with information on 3319 household members, of whom 522 were adolescent girls aged 15–19. Of those, 14% were currently married (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 0.11–0.18), and 11% were ever married under age 18 (95% CI 8–15%). Several variables were found to be significantly associated with hazard of child marriage including schooling, sex and employment status of head of household, as well as number of girls under age 18 in the childhood home.. Adult women tended to incorrectly identify minimum legal age at marriage and preferred low marital age for boys and girls – particularly in households of child brides. Among married adolescent girls, contraceptive use was very low (11%; 95% CI 4.94–22.40), and early childbearing was common (60%; 95% CI 45.56–72.89). Conclusions This research contributes to the evidence base on child marriage in humanitarian settings. Insights generated from this study have the potential to inform programs and interventions aiming to prevent and mitigate the impacts of this harmful practice.
Shatha Elnakib, Kara Hunersen, Janna Metzler et al.
Education is the fundamental concept in order to attain human potential, to develop an equitable and just society, thereby providing universal access to quality education and also in promoting national development. The global education development agenda reflected in the Goal 4 (SDG4) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by our nation in 2015 itself seeks to "ensure inclusive and equitable quality of education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all" by 2030. NEP 2020 provides for setting up a Gender Inclusion Fund (GIF) to build the nation's capability to provide equitable quality education for all girls. But Girls education is a big challenge to India and it is also very difficult to develop the girls socially and economically as child marriage is one of the biggest obstacle. Though NEP offers an equity model in giving education, most of the girls are forced to marry at an early age which results in a plethora of problems such as health issues, personality development, and empowerment of women and so on. If we look into the dominant factors that lead to child marriage we can list out the issues of poverty, unemployment, economic backwardness, and superstitious beliefs among the lead factors. We can also notice the typical stereotypical issue of gender-based violence in imparting education to young girls. Poor and uneducated families usually favor boys when they deviate their mind in investing for education. In some places, schools do not meet the safety, hygiene or sanitation needs of girls. This paper focuses on analyzing the New Education Policy 2020 in addressing the girls education and the challenges of the child marriage which is one of the barrier to achieve the goal being set up by SDG4.
This report presents results from the final evaluation of a social, health, and economic asset-building program implemented by the Lebanon-based non-governmental organization (NGO) Basmeh & Zeitooneh (B&Z) and aimed at reducing the social isolation of vulnerable adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) aged 10–21 years old living in the Shatila and Burj al Barajneh refugee camps in South Beirut. The program sought to help girls gain the skills and knowledge they need to avoid child marriage and adolescent pregnancy and to make a healthy transition to adulthood despite the numerous challenges they face. The program focused on two sub-populations of girls at heightened risk of poor health and social outcomes: 10–15- year-old girls who are out of school and 13–21 year-old girls who are married. The report presents findings from the most recent iteration of this program, which took place in two phases—Round 2 between May and September 2022 and Round 3 between November 2022 and March 2023—and built upon a previous round of the program—Round 1—which was also conducted in partnership with Population Council (between May and September 2021).
<span><span>This study examines the relationship between child marriage and female secondary education across countries from 2000 to 2023. Using publicly available data from UNICEF, UNESCO, and the Child Marriage Data Portal, I analyzed country-level indicators including child marriage prevalence (% of women aged 20–24 married before 18), female secondary school completion, GDP per capita, and urbanization. Preliminary analyses show that higher rates of child marriage are associated with lower female secondary enrollment and completion, a relationship that persists even after controlling for economic and urbanization factors. Comparisons between early (2000) and late (2022) years suggest that the negative association remains relatively stable over time, with slight variations across regions. Regression results indicate that a one-percentage-point increase in child marriage corresponds to approximately a -1.17 percentage point change in female secondary completion, holding GDP and urbanization constant. These findings underscore the importance of addressing child marriage as a barrier to female education and highlight policy implications for governments and NGOs working to improve educational access for girls. The study contributes to the broader understanding of how social and economic factors interact to influence educational outcomes for young women globally.</span></span>
Introduction: Child marriage (early marriage) refers to a marital union in which one or both partners are still categorized as children or adolescents under the age of 19 years. Child marriage can lead to negative consequences for both physical and psychological health. Considering that adolescents are digital natives, the utilization of mobile health technology offers a relevant, interactive, and easily accessible educational solution. This study aimed to examine the effect of mobile health–based education on adolescent girls’ knowledge of child marriage. Methods: This study employed a pre-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design involving 43 adolescent girls selected using stratified random sampling. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test. Results: Prior to the health education intervention, most adolescent girls demonstrated a low level of knowledge, with 40 respondents (93.02%). After receiving mobile health–based education, the majority showed a good level of knowledge, with 36 respondents (83.72%). Statistical analysis indicated a significant difference in knowledge levels before and after the intervention (p = 0.000; p < 0.05). Conclusion: Mobile health–based health education had a significant effect on improving adolescent girls’ knowledge of child marriage.
Dian Purnama Yanti, Nurlathifah N Yusuf, Baiq Disnalia Siswari
Child marriage often involves adolescents aged 10–19 years and poses significant health risks and challenges to gender equality. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the involvement of adolescent girls in decision-making processes regarding child marriage and identify influencing factors. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, this review covered studies published between January 2014 and July 2024. The databases searched included ScienceDirect, Springer Link, PubMed, and Taylor & Francis, using terms related to adolescent girls, decision-making, and child marriage. Inclusion criteria targeted studies involving girls aged 10–19, with methods including qualitative, quantitative, longitudinal, and mixed-method, published in English. Data extraction and quality assessment followed the standards of the Joanna Briggs Institute. Of 6,967 articles, 29 met the inclusion criteria, spanning 26 countries across three continents, with 51.7% being qualitative studies. Economic pressure was identified as the primary driver of child marriage, with significant parental and community influences restricting the girls' decision-making autonomy. Parents, especially fathers, often force girls into marriage to reduce economic burdens and enhance family honor. Some adolescent girls initiate marriage to escape adverse home conditions or societal stigma. Education and strong family support emerged as protective factors, while entrenched social norms perpetuated early marriages. Comprehensive approaches including educational improvement, economic support, and social norm transformation are essential. Addressing child marriage requires multidimensional strategies, encompassing enhanced educational opportunities, economic support, and changing entrenched social norms. Future research should focus on interventions that boost adolescent girls' life skills and decision-making autonomy to delay marriage and enable informed choices.
Sri Wahyuningsih, Sri Widati, Nunik Puspitasari et al.
Child marriage remains a major threat to adolescent girls’ health, development, and rights worldwide. Despite decades of progress, recent policy backsliding and sociopolitical instability have created new risks, with examples from Iraq, Afghanistan, and The Gambia illustrating how legal and political shifts are reshaping vulnerabilities for girls. This paper presents an integrated framework linking developmental science with legal and policy advocacy, emphasizing how evolving capacities and psychosocial maturity should inform marriage laws and protection mechanisms. It reframes advocacy and rights-based action as essential components of adolescent health systems, drawing on recent policy analyses and country examples to identify actionable, multisectoral strategies. The paper highlights an urgent need for collective, evidence-informed advocacy to protect adolescent girls and advance gender equality, an issue of growing importance amid renewed global attention to legal reforms on child marriage.
Marriages below the age of 18 are either forced or by own interest, influenced by different factors. The objective of this paper is to describe the role of marriage brokers in adolescent girls’ marriage in West Hararghe, Oromia region, Eastern Ethiopia. Qualitative data were drawn from a formative baseline (March to August 2016) and consecutive studies including the mid-term (May 2018 to August 2018) studies of Abdiboru, a Girls’ SRH and empowerment project. As findings demonstrate, adolescent girls below the legal age of marriage are forced to accept marriage proposals convinced by intermediaries/marriage brokers. Marriage brokers can be peers, relatives, elders or any skillful people in convincing and persuading girls. Marriage brokerage is commercialized and as a result, girls go through the burdens of early marriage and early child bearing. Marriage brokerage is a common act in the study area resulting in brokers to have a significant role on adolescent girls’ marriage. They play an inevitable role in arranging potential matches for adolescent girls. Programmers working on ending child marriage and related areas need to include these influential people in designing interventions.
