3 ways girls' education can help end child marriage

1) Education for girls significantly lowers child marriage prevalence

Keeping girls in schools is one of the best ways to delay marriage.

The more time a girl spends in education, the greater the reduction in risk of child marriage. Secondary education is a much stronger and more consistent protection against child marriage than primary school education. On average, the likelihood of a girl marrying before she turns 18 is six percentage points less for every additional year she stays in secondary school¹.

2) Education can reduce gender inequality

Child marriage is rooted in gender inequality and social norms that discriminate against girls and women. These mean that girls and women often have fewer opportunities and access to rights than their male counterparts.

Education is fundamental in restructuring these gendered norms and inequalities. Those working in and for schools – including those developing and delivering school curricula – can make a conscious effort to challenge gender stereotypes and discriminatory norms in wider society, and support girls, boys and adolescents to do the same. Done like this, education becomes one of the most powerful drivers of change.

Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is crucial in transforming gender norms and inequality. When CSE is integrated as a formal part of the curriculum, girls are more able to make and act on decisions about their bodies and lives.

Education also provides girls with a range of skills which prepare them for employment, and also help them to develop personal goals and skills. As more girls attend and stay in school, the role of girls and women in wider society will also shift.

3) The effect of girls’ education is intergenerational

Providing 12 years of quality education for one girl not only delays marriage for that individual but also delays marriage for generations of girls and women that will follow her. It can mean that her daughters are more likely to stay in education for longer and therefore less likely to marry or enter a union before they turn 18.

These women will also be more likely to earn more money. Evidence demonstrates that an additional year of schooling can increase a woman’s earnings by up to 20%., these women can therefore contribute more to economic growth. Countries lose more than $1 billion dollars a year failing to educate girls. So, as well as being the right thing to do, guaranteeing girls' education also interrupts the intergenerational cycle of poverty and disadvantage, and benefits society.

How you can advocate for girls’ education

At Girls Not Brides, we recognise the strength of partnership and collective action.

Hold your government accountable by writing to them calling for:

1) More investment in programmes that supports girls to continue education

There is no doubt that the transition to – and completion of – secondary school needs to be the focus for investment and action. Call on your government to dedicate financial resource to girls’ education and especially programmes that directly benefit adolescent girls. For guidance, check out our template letter.

2) Advocate for gender-transformative school curriculums

Advocate for gender-transformative curriculums that challenge harmful gender norms and stereotypes and reinforce equal opportunity and rights for girls and boys. Ask your government to design gender-responsive education systems and cross-sector plans that acknowledge the two-way link between child marriage and girls’ education. Promote active participation of girls and women in the design of education programmes and curriculums. Advocate for curriculums to include age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education.

3) Support girls to step into their power

Work with girls in your community to advocate for their own right to quality education. Offer girls the support, skills and safe space they need to step into their power and make their own decision to stay in education and advocate for other girls to do the same. Get some inspiration from our members on the International Day of the Girl and the activities they carried out to bring girls into the conversation and ensure they have the tools they need to speak for themselves and inspire change.