Policy Briefs

In Malawi, 6 out 7 girls are not enrolled in secondary school, while 3 out of 7 girls are married before the age of 18. Common factors drive these two startling statistics: insufficient number of secondary schools, limited labor market opportunities for girls and cultural norms and practices that normalize early marriage. Missing out on secondary school and getting married early has a number of negative effects, including earlier pregnancy, poorer health outcomes for mothers and children, increased domestic violence and higher national fertility rates. Estimating the social and economic costs of child marriage, this report finds that each case of child marriage costs Malawian society around MWK 9 million. 

The Cost and Benefit of Interventions to Boost Girls’ Secondary Education and Reduce Early Child Marriage in Malawi