Multidimensional Measures are Key to Understanding Child, Early, and Forced Marriages and Unions
Summary
This commentary argues that judging “what works” to end child marriage solely by whether girls’ age at marriage is delayed is too narrow and can be misleading. It frames child, early and forced marriages and unions (CEFMU) as symptoms of unequal power, restrictive gender norms, and limited opportunities, and calls for multidimensional, gender-transformative measures of success—tracking changes in girls’ agency, mobility, decision-making, schooling, economic options, and in the norms and behaviours of families, communities, and institutions. The authors recommend greater investment in longitudinal and norms-focused research, use of robust social norms measurement tools, and stronger support for local women’s and youth organisations to define and evaluate meaningful change.
Purpose
The overall purpose of the letter is to push the field to move beyond judging CEFMU programmes only by whether they delay age at marriage, and instead adopt a broader, gender-transformative evaluation approach that measures changes in girls’ power, agency, opportunities, and the social norms that sustain child marriage.
Audience
Researchers, evaluators, donors, and practitioners working on child marriage/CEFMU and gender equality, especially those designing, funding, and assessing “what works” interventions, as well as policymakers who rely on this evidence
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