Brief

Child marriage is defined as a formal or informal union before the age of 18. Child brides are at greater risk of experiencing a range of poor health outcomes, having children at younger ages when they are not yet ready to do so, dropping out of school, earning less over their lifetimes, and living in poverty compared to their peers who marry at later ages. These dynamics affect not only the girls themselves, but also their children and households, as well as communities and entire societies.

Each year, natural disasters and climate change around the world have a devastating effect on children’s education. They cause direct harm to children, teachers, and the school community, damaging or destroying school infrastructure. The global program for safer schools (GPSS) aims to promote and facilitate informed, large-scale investments for the safety and resilience of new and existing school infrastructure at risk from natural hazards, contributing to high-quality learning environments. The focus is primarily on public school infrastructure in developing countries.

In Bangladesh, more than three in ten children under the age of five are stunted; but for children born of mothers younger than 18, the risk of stunting is higher. controlling for socio-economic and other characteristics, being born of a mother younger than 18 increases the likelihood of stunting for children under-five by five percentage points in the baseline model, as compared to otherwise similar children born of older mothers. 

Young mothers often come from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds and early childbirths are more common in poor areas where prenatal care is limited and access to health facilities may be an issue. Girls who have children early also tend to be less educated and may suffer from lack of agency within the household, further reducing access to care. In addition, some girls who give birth early may not yet be ready physiologically to give birth. Statistically, children from young mothers are three percentage points more likely to die before five.

Young mothers often come from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds and early childbirths are more common in poor areas where prenatal care is limited and access to health facilities may be an issue. Girls who have children early also tend to be less educated and may suffer from lack of agency within the household, further reducing access to care. In addition, some girls who give birth early may not yet be ready physiologically to give birth. The risk of obstetric fistula, for example, is higher for young mothers.

Poor nutrition weakens children’s immune systems, putting them at a greater risk of falling sick from preventable illnesses such as pneumonia and diarrhea. According to Horton et al. (2008), nearly one-fifth of under-five deaths in the world could be prevented with optimal feeding. Research also suggests that poor nutrition at a young age may have irremediable consequences for brain development, cognitive skills, and ultimately productivity in adult life. Unfortunately, a large share of children in the developing world are malnourished.

The relationship between child marriage and fertility could be due in part to the socio-economic and cultural context in which girls who marry early tend to live. But child marriage may also have a direct impact on fertility after controlling for socio-economic and cultural context. Marrying early is often associated with a lack of agency for girls, including in terms of access to family planning that could help delay or reduce births if women so desire.

Young mothers often come from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds and early childbirths are more common in poor areas where prenatal care is limited and access to health facilities may be an issue. Girls who have children early also tend to be less educated and may suffer from lack of agency within the household, further reducing access to care. In addition, some girls who give birth early may not yet be ready physiologically to give birth. The risk of obstetric fistula, for example, is higher for young mothers.

Young mothers often come from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds and early childbirths are more common in poor areas where prenatal care is limited and access to health facilities may be an issue. Girls who have children early also tend to be less educated and may suffer from lack of agency within the household, further reducing access to care. In addition, some girls who give birth early may not yet be ready physiologically to give birth. The risk of obstetric fistula, for example, is higher for young mothers.

Poor nutrition weakens children’s immune systems, putting them at a greater risk of falling sick from preventable illnesses such as pneumonia and diarrhea. Research also suggests that poor nutrition at a young age may have irremediable consequences for brain development, cognitive skills, and ultimately productivity in adult life. Unfortunately, a large share of children in the developing world are malnourished.