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Action by Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies to prevent and respond to child marriage, Case Study Report

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Purpose of this case study report

This case study report provides examples of concrete activities and related lessons that may benefit future Red Cross and Red Crescent National Society projects to address child marriage in development and emergency situations.
Rather than being an exhaustive list of the work of National Societies, the case studies provide details of work from a sampling of Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies. Specifically, eleven projects are highlighted and represent action from the Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe and Middle East and North Africa Regions.

Global agenda on ending child marriage

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5.3 calls for the elimination of all harmful practices such as child, early and forced marriages and female genital mutilation. Globally there has been a decline in child marriages by 15% from 1 in 4 to 1 in 5. But the current trend will not be enough to meet SDG 5.3 on ending child marriage by 2030.

Global background on child marriage and the high risk to girls

Child marriage is a human rights violation, a form of gender-based discrimination, a harmful practice and a form of sexual and gender-based violence, which requires States to take steps to prevent and eliminate it.4 Both boys and girls are impacted by child marriage. 765 million people alive today were married as children.5 Of those, an estimated 115 million are boys and men.6 The prevalence of child marriage worldwide is significantly higher among girls; the total number of girls and women alive today that were married as children is 650 million.7 This is equivalent to 1 in 5 girls being married as children compared to 1 in 30 boys.8 There are an estimated 12 million girls who are married in childhood every year, that is equal to 23 girls being married every minute and nearly one every two seconds.
The dramatic differences of girls and boys being married reflects social values and norms that hold girls in low esteem denying them the agency to chart their own course in life.9 This exemplifies how gender inequality is a root cause of child marriage.

There are many negative consequences when girls are married. This is because they are not physically or emotionally ready to become wives or mothers. The consequences include:

• Becoming isolated, having limited freedom, and feeling disempowered;

• Being deprived of their fundamental rights to health, education and safety;

• Increased risks of experiencing dangerous complications in pregnancy and childbirth;

• Contracting HIV/AIDS;

• Suffering domestic violence; and

• Living in poverty due to their limited access to education and economic opportunities.