TOWARD AN END TO CHILD MARRIAGE Lessons from Research and Practice in Development and Humanitarian Sectors TOWARD AN END TO CHILD MARRIAGE Lessons from Research and Practice in Development and Humanitarian Sectors SAVE THE CHILDREN AND BEYOND June 2018 Julie Freccero Audrey Whiting HUMAN RIGHTS CENTER The Human Rights Center at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law conducts research on war crimes and other serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights. Using evidence- based methods and innovative technologies, we support efforts to hold perpetrators accountable and to protect vulnerable populations. We also train students and advocates to document human rights violations and turn this information into effective action. The Health and Human Rights Program at the Human Rights Center promotes the health and protection of marginalized populations affected by humanitarian crises. Through applied research and technical assistance, we partner with local and international organizations to develop new tools, guidance, and interventions. Human Rights Center, UC Berkeley School of Law, 396 Simon Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720 Telephone: 510.642.0965 | Email: [email protected] hrc.berkeley.edu, Medium.com/humanrightscenter | @HRCBerkeley SAVE THE CHILDREN Save the Children fights for children every single day. We stand side by side with children in the toughest places to be a child. We do whatever it takes to make sure they survive, get protection when they’re in danger, and have the chance to learn. Because every child should be able to make their mark on the world and build a better future for us all. savethechildren.net Cover Photo: Rokaya,* 14, stands in the grounds of a temporary learning center for children who fled the conflict in Marawi city, the Philippines, run by Save the Children. At this site, girls and young women face a heightened risk of early or forced marriage as well as other forms of gender-based violence.*The child’s name was changed to protect her identity. Photo by Hanna Adcock / Save the Children. Design and graphics: Nicole Hayward CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS / v EXECUTIVE SUMMARY / 1 INTRODUCTION / 7 IMPETUS AND OBJECTIVES / 9 METHODOLOGY / 11 FINDINGS, PART I: THE LITERATURE / 15 DEVELOPMENT LITERATURE / 15 HUMANITARIAN LITERATURE / 24 FINDINGS, PART II: SAVE THE CHILDREN PROGRAMMING AND ADVOCACY / 25 INTRODUCTION TO SAVE THE CHILDREN’S WORK ON CHILD MARRIAGE / 25 MAPPING / 25 KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS / 31 DISCUSSION / 48 LESSONS FROM RESEARCH AND PRACTICE / 48 SAVE THE CHILDREN’S APPROACHES AND THE EVIDENCE / 52 EMERGING ISSUES IN CHILD MARRIAGE PROGRAMMING / 54 RECOMMENDATIONS / 56 DEVELOPMENT / 56 HUMANITARIAN / 60 RESEARCH / 61 APPENDICES / 63 NOTES / 80 ABBREVIATIONS AMS Awards Management System IDP Internally Displaced Persons ASRH Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive INGO International Non-governmental Health Organization CCT Conditional Cash Transfer IPV Intimate Partner Violence CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of IRC International Rescue Committee All Forms of Discrimination Against NGO Non-governmental Organization Women RCT Randomized Control Trial CEDPA Centre for Development and RH Reproductive Health Population Activities SC Save the Children CEFM Child, Early, and Forced Marriage SGBV Sexual and Gender-based Violence CM Child Marriage SIDA Swedish International Development CRC Convention on the Rights of the Child Cooperation Agency CSE Comprehensive Sexuality Education SRH/R Sexual and Reproductive Health/ CSO Civil Society Organization Rights DRC Democratic Republic of the Congo STI Sexually Transmitted Infection FGM/C Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting UCT Unconditional Cash Transfer GBV Gender-based Violence UN United Nations HIV/AIDS Human Immunodeficiency Virus/ UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund Acquired Immune Deficiency VSLA Village Savings and Loan Association Syndrome WASH Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene HRC Human Rights Center ICRW International Center for Research on Women v EXECUTIVE SUMMARY DESPITE RECENT DECLINES in the prevalence of Methodology child marriage globally, an estimated 12 million girls The study methodology has three components: are still married each year.1 Additionally, there has been growing concern around reports of increasing 1. LITERATURE REVIEW: A literature review was child marriage rates among those affected by con- conducted to identify the state of the global evi- flict or natural disaster where underlying drivers dence on child marriage prevention and response such as gender inequality, social norms, and lack interventions. In sum, 355 development and 27 of opportunities for girls are exacerbated, and new humanitarian articles from both grey and aca- drivers related to protection concerns and extreme demic literature were evaluated for inclusion. poverty arise. Consequently, girls who are married Forty-three development and no humanitarian young experience a violation of their human rights articles met the inclusion criteria and were ex- and suffer negative impacts on their education, eco- tracted and evaluated for quality using adapted nomic prospects, social lives, mental and physical STROBE and CONSORT scales.2 Data was re- health, and the health and nutrition of their chil- viewed and findings relating to programs and dren. Effective interventions are urgently needed to initiatives for combatting child marriage were address this critical issue. identified and analyzed for common themes. The purpose of the following study is to gather findings from efforts to prevent and respond to 2. MAPPING EXERCISE: A mapping exercise of Save child marriage in both development and human- the Children’s past and current programs to address itarian contexts and determine what Save the child marriage was undertaken using internal and Children and other organizations can do to improve published documents from three sources: submis- their response to this critical issue. The study adds sions from Save the Children member and country to existing research by synthesizing the most up-to- offices, Save the Children’s Awards Management date literature, bringing the voices of practitioners System Database, and the program and project and experts into the discussion, and examining the Evaluation Repository database. Any evaluations topic of child marriage interventions in a humani- meeting inclusion criteria for the literature review tarian context for the first time. In addition, through were included in the literature review extraction and a mapping and analysis of Save the Children’s pro- analysis process. Program information from the 181 gramming, it assesses the organization’s approaches resulting documents that met the inclusion criteria against the available evidence. was extracted to a standardized form for analysis. 1 Methodology 1 A literature 2 A mapping 3 Key informant review to exercise of Save interviews with 27 Literature identify the Mapping the Children’s Key practitioners active Review state of Exercise past and current Informant in child marriage the global programs to Interviews prevention and evidence on address child response in 21 child marriage marriage using countries or regions prevention internal and across Africa, the and response published Middle East, South interventions documents from Asia, Europe, and three sources North and South America 3. KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS: Key informant and legal and advocacy. Empowerment approaches interviews were conducted with 27 practitioners were the most frequently evaluated and consistently active in child marriage prevention and response effective, but covered a broad range of activities that in 21 countries or regions across Africa, the Middle were rarely evaluated independently to determine East, South Asia, Europe, and North and South which components were most effective. Incentive/ America. Interviews were conducted over Skype us- asset transfer approaches had mixed results, but ing a semi-structured interview guide. Twenty-one were more likely to be effective when focused on interviewees were from Save the Children, while six younger adolescents and conditioned on or used practitioners were from other non-governmental to promote educational outcomes (such as school organizations (NGOs). Transcripts were coded and attendance). Community sensitization and engage- analyzed thematically to identify patterns in par- ment approaches, while promising, were poorly ticipant responses. represented and evaluated in the literature, but pro- grams focusing on deeper community engagement Findings were generally more successful than those that used The literature review identified 43 experimental and more light-touch sensitization approaches. Finally, quasi-experimental evaluations of 30 distinct inter- legal and advocacy approaches were found to be ventions in development settings that had as their the least represented in the literature, likely due to primarily objective or a significant outcome im- substantial challenges in evaluating such programs pacts on child marriage outcomes including related using experimental and quasi-experimental meth- behavior, knowledge, and attitudes. Studies focused ods. We identified two studies evaluating programs primarily on African and South Asian contexts. designed to address child marriage in humanitarian Interventions were typically designed as single-com- contexts, but neither fit the criteria for inclusion in ponent or multi-component and targeted girls alone the study. or multiple levels of the social-ecological model, The mapping of Save