Resource roundup 2024: The latest evidence & collective learning around child marriage

Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage has had a busy year! We’ve been sharing and compiling new evidence, knowledge and practical solutions among practitioners, advocates, policymakers, researchers and funders, so we can all take effective action to address child marriage and transform discriminatory gender norms around the world.

If you missed any of our new materials or shared learning spaces – don’t worry! We’ve brought them all together in this handy resource roundup. You can access everything through the links below, or find them in our Resource Centre, CRANK pages and online Learning Series.

Thematic evidence, research & collective learning

Child marriage in conflict- and crisis-affected settings

In this set of resources – including a report, case studies, toolkit and spotlight on using gender-transformative approaches – we explore the causes and consequences of child marriage in conflict- and crisis-affected settings. The report presents evidence from 2020 and also includes examples of feminist and girl-centred research. It presents promising practice within and across key sectors, and offers recommendations and practical tools to support local, national and international actors to take evidence-based action. It is designed to support anyone working to prevent and respond to child marriage in conflict- and crisis-affected settings, and advocates for a fundamental shift in how we approach child marriage programming in these contexts. We will be holding a Learning Series session on this topic in 2025. Available in English and French.

The impact of the law on child marriage and girls’ rights

This thematic brief and evidence review and region-specific brief for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) examine the evidence on the impact of age of marriage and sexual consent laws for child marriage and girls’ rights. The briefs draw on insights from Girls Not Brides member organisations to highlight key considerations for our work, to ensure the best outcomes for girls, in all their diversity. Available in English, French and Spanish.

This was our starting point for other pieces of work on the issue, including:

• Frequently asked questions on the law and child marriage, which provides support in navigating the legal landscape around child marriage. Available in English (French and Spanish upcoming).
• A Learning Series session, where we explored the key findings, what the evidence means for our collective work and insights from Girls Not Brides member organisations in Malawi and Nepal. The key takeaways, notes, presentations and recordings are all available in English, French and Spanish.
• A CRANK Research Meeting where we explored the latest evidence and its implications for research, programme and policy. We also shared contextual case studies examining the implications of laws, the challenges, opportunities and promising practice. The key takeaways, notes and recordings are all available in English, French and Spanish.

Child marriage and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)

This brief explores the links between child marriage and SRHR, and progress made since 1994. It includes evidence-based strategies, case studies of promising practice, and recommendations – validated with Girls Not Brides member organisations – to address child marriage and ensure girls and women, in all their diversity, can enjoy their SRHR. Available in English, French and Spanish.

The mental health consequences of child marriage

This thematic brief and summary report present the key takeaways and insights shared during a CRANK symposium on this under-researched issue. They include evidence on what works, priorities and practical tools to support girls who are – or have been – married. Available in English, French and Spanish.

Holistic and cross-sectoral solutions

In this CRANK Research Meeting, we looked at the need to think holistically about child marriage and to work across sectors and levels. We considered the implications for policy, interventions and research. The key takeaways, notes and recordings are all available in English, French and Spanish.

A new series of thematic CRANK Research Spotlights

This series – which will continue into 2025 – combines six-page Research Spotlights with one-page posters and a social media toolkit to support the practical application of the latest research. In these resources, we look at the evidence behind the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommendations on using cash and asset incentive schemes, girls’ empowerment, economic empowerment and education interventions to prevent and respond to child marriage. We examine the implications for policy and programmatic work and research, and offer additional evidence, insights and practical tools. Available in English, French and Spanish.

Tools & advocacy

10-step guide to conducting youth-led research

This guide provides a practical framework for conducting youth-led research, emphasising the ethical considerations, power dynamics and legitimacy of youth voices in research and advocacy processes. This guide is a companion piece to the Knowledge is power learning report on youth-led research in West Africa. Available in English and French.

Leveraging United Nations human rights mechanisms to end child marriage: A step-by-step toolkit for civil society organisations

This toolkit is a practical companion offering actionable steps and promising practice from Girls Not Brides member organisations around the globe for engaging with four key human rights mechanisms to end child marriage. It includes explanations for each, how they link with child marriage, and extra resources, tips and timelines to support your advocacy. Available in English, Nepali and Spanish.

Ten years of progress: Reflecting on the UN General Assembly Resolution on Child, Early and Forced Marriage (CEFM)

This paper examines the progress and setbacks across key themes in the UNGA CEFM Resolutions. It includes recommendations for member states and support for national-level responses to child marriage. Available in English.

Region-specific resources

Strategies to end child marriage in the Horn of Africa

This literature review maps interventions and organisations addressing child marriage in Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan. It includes an exploration of the social drivers of child marriage, the impact of women-led organisations, and gaps in humanitarian responses addressing child marriage. Available in English.

The impact of the law on child marriage in LAC

This brief and infographic focus on the evidence from LAC, where there is little published literature on this issue. Here, we combine this evidence base with the perspectives of Girls Not Brides member organisations to provide a preliminary picture of where we are now. Available in English and Spanish.

Partnering with women-led organisations to address child marriage in South Asia

This guidance note explores gender-transformative approaches to ending child marriage in South Asia. It highlights strategies, resources and promising practice implemented by women-led organisations, and the importance of holistic, multisectoral alliances grounded in feminist principles. Available in English.

Child marriage and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in India

This brief was developed with Girls Not Brides member organisations and other sector experts in India. It offers insights and identifies potential areas for multisectoral collaboration to address the root causes of child marriage and to supplement government efforts to advance gender equality. Available in English.

Coming up…

Charting a way to accelerated, evidence-based action on child marriage

The CRANK – together with Girls Not Brides, the UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to End Child Marriage, UNICEF Innocenti-Global Office of Research and Foresight, and the World Health Organisation-Human Reproduction Programme – have formed a consortium to drive the process of setting an updated evidence agenda for accelerated action to end child marriage and meet the SDGs.

This October, they convened a strategic side event at the Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) Forum in Cape Town: “Accelerating evidence-based action to end child marriage: Taking stock and charting the way forward to 2030”. This blog provides a summary of this meeting, along with the principles, learnings and next steps for the process going into 2025.

Thank you!

As 2024 comes to a close, we would like to thank all Girls Not Brides colleagues and member organisations for their continued engagement, and for sharing their invaluable knowledge, learnings and insights – including contextual reflections and discussion – over the past year. You have strengthened our collective work to address child marriage.

Whatever your role in the movement to end child marriage, we hope these resources inspire and inform your continued efforts into 2025, and beyond!