How Cash Transfers Can Contribute to Ending Child Marriage in the MENA Region

Child marriage remains a significant issue in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with social, economic, and child and human rights implications. Overall rate of child marriage in the region has been declining for decades and is now meaningfully lower than the global average. The current rates remain nonetheless alarming, with serious concerns about the impact of instability on child marriage within the region. 

In September 2023, RAF is organized a webinar to explore the potential of cash transfers as a strategic tool to address child marriage in the MENA region, focusing on its effectiveness, challenges, and good practices.

Featured speakers:

• Jean Casey, Research and Humanitarian Manager at Girls not Bride
• Shatha Elnakib, Full-time Faculty at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
• May Abi Samra, Gender Specialist at UNICEF Lebanon and Elie El Rawadi Program Officer/Social Assistance at UNICEF Lebanon
• Lauren Whitehead, Social Protection and Gender Lead at UNICEF HQ

The webinar was moderated by Huda al Zoabi, Adolescent Girls program officer at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)’s Jordan office