Time to act! Accelerating efforts to end child, early and forced marriage in Asia

This research by Plan International looked into prevalence of child marriage, its root causes, impact, and interventions  to address it across 14 countries in Asia (Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam). It also explored what it would cost for governments to implement the successful interventions that were identified across these countries.

Main recommendations include:

1. Contextualise and localise programme strategies and content


2. Integrate CEFM across government and development sectors


3. Apply a gender-transformative lens to programme strategies and content


4. Empower girls through collectives


5. Ensure that governments buy-in through building their capacity and ownership


6. Address adolescent sexuality and unintended pregnancy


7. Engage traditional and faith leaders


8. Ensure meaningful participation of adolescents and youth


9. Invest in long-term programmes, evaluations and research to generate additional evidence