Several studies have recently explored the impact of cash transfers programmes on child marriage. Some have showed their effectiveness in delaying the age of marriage. Others have found that they increased the risk of marriage just after turning 18, and had no impact in changing longer term attitudes towards girls.
In this short commentary, the authors emphasise the value of girls' empowerment programmes and call for a change in the way we evaluate the impact of conditional cash transfers programmes on child marriage.
As child marriage is rooted in broad social norms and societal pressure, they encourage to look beyond the impact of these incentive programmes on the age of marriage, and consider their longer-term impact on social norms and attitudes within the community.