Understanding the drivers of early childbearing in specific contexts is important for effective policy making.
Many children in Indonesia do not know that having sexual relations may lead to them being pregnant and forced to marry their partners.
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Laws in Mauritius allow minors to marry while some cultures on the island are tolerant of child marriage.
In Mozambique, gender-based violence, early marriage and early pregnancy all play a part in compromising the health of mothers and infants.
(Nazeem Muhajarine)
Mozambique has one of the highest maternal death rates in the world. Researchers hope to reduce this, with an ambitious project aimed at empowering women and girls.
Women protest against child marriage in Albany, New York.
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Creating more opportunities for young women and girls to work and earn money is a possible solution to early marriages. Subsidising secondary education to keep poorer girls in school is another.
Education can change girls’ lives: an extra year of education can raise a girl’s future wages by between 10% and 20%.
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Professor, Department of Community Health and Epidemiology and Director, Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit, University of Saskatchewan