“She Cannot Just Sit Around Waiting to Turn Twenty” Understanding Why Child Marriage Persists in Kenya and Zambia

The findings of the 2016 report by the International Center on Research for Women (ICRW), confirm that adolescent girls in diverse communities of Kenya and Zambia face many of the same challenges as girls in areas where more evidence about child marriage exists. These include challenges in deciding when and whom to marry, in achieving their aspirations and in feeling supported by their parents and communities. However, the pathways to child marriage, and therefore the types of interventions that could be used to interrupt those pathways, are contextually-specific. Innovation and adaptation of existing programs will be necessary to meet the unique needs of adolescent girls, their families and communities in Kenya and Zambia, particularly guaranteed access to quality education. Click here to download the report