Mapping the evidence on interventions that mitigate the health, educational, social and economic impacts of child marriage and address the needs of child brides: A systematic scoping review
Objectives
The review set out to map all documented interventions in low- and middle-income countries that aim to mitigate the health, educational, social and economic impacts of child marriage and to address the needs of girls who married as children. It sought to describe the types of interventions implemented, the platforms used to deliver them, the outcomes assessed and the extent to which these interventions intentionally targeted child brides.
Findings
The review identified 34 projects, most of which focused on improving sexual and reproductive health among child brides through information provision, counselling, and linkages to adolescent-friendly services. Interventions were predominantly community-based, often delivered through clubs, home visits or participatory group sessions, and frequently combined with facility-based activities such as provider training. Evidence showed consistent improvements in SRH knowledge and attitudes, while behavioural change was more limited and strongest when community outreach was paired with service referral. Very few interventions addressed mental health, economic empowerment or broader social well-being, and only a handful examined educational or livelihood outcomes. Interventions targeting husbands, in-laws and community members showed some success in shifting supportive behaviours but limited effects on gender norms or violence. The review highlights that despite the large global population of married girls, interventions tailored specifically to their needs remain scarce, highly skewed toward SRH, and uneven in quality and scope.
Recommendations
The authors recommend expanding the evidence base beyond SRH to include mental health, psychosocial support, social protection, economic empowerment and the needs of divorced, widowed or separated child brides. They call for more intentional and well-designed interventions that specifically target married girls, address their mobility and social constraints and integrate community-based mobilisation with adolescent-friendly service provision. They also emphasise the need for rigorous evaluation, including cost and cost-effectiveness analyses, to guide resource allocation and support the development of comprehensive, multisectoral programmes that strengthen the health, rights and well-being of child brides.
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