This report explores the experiences of adolescent girls within two age brackets - 10-14 and 15-19 years - navigating the urban spaces of Beirut in order to access services and opportunities. The study was conducted with girls from both host (Lebanese) and refugee (including Syrian and Palestinian) communities, who were asked about their views on issues such as child marriage, education, and girls’ roles in the household and community.
Child marriage is a prominent concern across global contexts, especially in humanitarian settings. Globally, about one in five women were married as children. Girls who marry young face many adverse effects that negatively impact their health and well-being. About 90 percent of adolescent pregnancies are among married girls, which puts them at a greater risk of birth complications. Other studies have shown that child marriage is associated with lower educational attainment and poverty, often due to their resulting lack of vocational opportunities.
This short brief provides an overview of the situation of child marriage in countries affected by conflict and displacement in the Middle-East and North Africa.
Developed by UNICEF, UNFPA, CARE International, the Women's Refugee Commission, Terre des Hommes and the University of Bedforshire, it also outlines five key strategies to address child marriage in the region.
This technical guide sets out to identify a strategic approach for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and partners to prevent and respond to child marriage in humanitarian settings in different stages of crises.
This case studies compendium describes and analyses the mechanisms through which large scale sectoral interventions have contributed to the prevention of child marriage in three settings: in Ethiopia and in the states of West Bengal and Bihar in India. The case studies highlight the successes and challenges of the approaches taken in each context and identify practical ways to embed efforts to end child marriage within existing programming in the areas of education, social protection, economic opportunities, poverty reduction and sexual and reproductive health.
The practice of child marriage has continued to decline globally. Today, one in five young women aged 20 to 24 years were married as children versus nearly one in four 10 years ago. Yet progress has been uneven around the world, and in many places the gains have not been equitable, leaving the most vulnerable girls behind. This year marks the halfway point to the deadline for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and when it comes to ending child marriage, a number of challenges loom large.
The study involved six MENA countries; Jordan, Morocco, Lebanon, Egypt, Sudan, Yemen and was undertaken to assess the prevalence of child marriage, nature of child marriage practices and the political and socio economic factors influencing child marriage practices in the MENA region. On this basis, the study generates regional and country specific recommendations for strengthening promising practices in addressing child marriage. The study presents key findings and recommendations structured around the UNICEF-UNFPA Global Programme on Ending Child Marriage.
While sexual violence, food insecurity and lack of access to adequate health services have been identified as the most pressing areas of concern among female displaced populations in the Arab region, child marriage has been highlighted as an increasingly alarming problem. International instruments and humanitarian laws address child marriage as a form of gender-based violence and a human rights violation.
Child marriage is a human rights violation and a development challenge that impedes progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The elimination of this practice is at the heart of concerted efforts by ESCWA, UNICEF, UNFPA, and UN Women, who are jointly committed to tackling this issue. They have spearheaded a series of studies examining the economic repercussions of child marriage in the Arab region.
Janna Metzler, Aisha Hutchinson, and Katrina Kiss from the Women’s Refugee Commission and King’s College London highlight the urgent issue of child marriage in the Arab region, where over 12 million girls are married annually. Progress on ending this practice is slowing, worsened by conflicts and economic crises. This paper reviews research priorities to enhance child marriage prevention in the region. Between July 2019 and December 2021, 73 specialists participated in an online Delphi consultation, identifying 50 research gaps.