Unmasking vulnerabilities
The impact of COVID-19 on the determinants of child marriage in South Asia
Highlights
The COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2023) significantly increased levels of poverty and deepened inequality and deprivation. It also disrupted the daily lives of children through school closures and changes in their families' economic circumstances. Globally, 2020 saw the largest rise in child marriage rates in 25 years, with data suggesting that rates more than doubled between March and December 2020 compared to 2019. The pandemic and related containment measures reinforced the factors driving child marriage and likely contributed to an increase in cases. Economic instability may have prompted families to resort to child marriage as a means of alleviating financial pressures. Additionally, school closures may have unintentionally heightened the risk of child marriage.
UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA) commissioned CORAM International to conduct a study examining the impacts of COVID-19 on the determinants of child marriage in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. The research aimed to understand the changes brought about by COVID-19 and how these changes have affected the drivers and moderators of child marriage. The study examined whether new drivers have emerged as a result of COVID-19 and related containment measures. It also explored the impact of COVID-19 on girls who are already married and the extent and nature of any shifts in behaviours related to child marriage as a result of the pandemic.
Recommendations:
- Support data collection and research to develop a clearer understanding of the prevalence and dynamics of child marriage during crises.
- Address the significant impacts of social and gender norms that are key drivers of child marriage, many of which were worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Expand access to services and support, utilising online and mobile phone technology to connect individuals to available resources.
- Enhance sustainable and effective economic opportunities and empower girls.
