Child marriage and sexual and reproductive health and rights

Objectives

This brief set out to:

(1) synthesise the latest global evidence (2013-2024) on how child marriage shapes and is shaped by SRHR outcomes;

(2) document progress and setbacks since ICPD 1994;

(3) showcase field-tested strategies and member-led innovations; and

(4) formulate consensus-based recommendations for governments, UN bodies, donors and civil society

Findings

Child marriage remains a major driver of adolescent pregnancy, maternal mortality and poor mental-health outcomes.

• Married girls face restricted autonomy over contraception and care-seeking, especially in crisis settings.

• SRHR roll-backs and under-funding threaten decades of progress.

• Promising practices include girl-centred clubs that combine CSE & life-skills, health-facility adaptations for married adolescents, cash-for-education schemes, and integrating child-marriage indicators into health-sector plans

Recommendations

1. Adopt integrated, multi-sectoral plans: align SRHR, education, protection and social-protection budgets with the SDG 5.3 target.

2. Invest in girl-led & women-led CSOs to deliver context-specific, gender-transformative services.

3. Embed child-marriage indicators and married-girl-specific services in national SRHR strategies and humanitarian response plans.

4. Guarantee access to CSE & adolescent-friendly SRH services, including contraception and safe abortion where legal.

5. Strengthen accountability through age- & sex-disaggregated data and dedicated financing lines.