Reducing Child Marriage in India: Evaluating the Impact of Conditional Cash Transfers
Over the next decade, 142 million girls are expected to marry before they turn 18. While this practice has diminished in many places, the pace of change has been slow in South Asia, particularly in India, where 40 percent of the world’s child marriages occur.
The Importance of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Goal 1: No Poverty
- Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
- Goal 4: Quality Education
- Goal 5: Gender Equality
- Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities
- Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
To help reduce child marriage, the government of India has launched several large-scale conditional cash transfer (CCT) initiatives to incentivize families to delay their daughters’ marriages. CCTs are arrangements in which governments provide individuals cash to encourage social change. CCTs represent a potentially cost-effective, high-impact strategy to delay marriage, however they have not yet been rigorously evaluated.
The Impact on Marriage: Program Assessment of Conditional Cash Transfers (IMPACCT) Project
Through the IMPACCT project, the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) will evaluate the Apni Beti Apna Dhan (ABAD) program, one of the first CCT interventions in India to include delayed marriage as a specific goal. Initiated in 1994, the local government of Haryana dedicated bonds to newly-born girls that can be cashed out after the girls turn 18 and only if they are unmarried. The first beneficiaries will reach 18 in 2012, presenting the first opportunity to assess the program’s success in delaying marriage.
Evaluation Methodology
- Analysis of government records and data on the ABAD effort
- Surveys of girls and parents who participated in the program and those who did not, to compare their attitudes and behaviors related to child marriage
- Interviews with key government officials to examine how well ABAD was implemented and identify areas for improvement in future CCT programs
The evaluation conducted by ICRW will provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of conditional cash transfers in reducing child marriage in India. By aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 5: Gender Equality, this evaluation aims to contribute to the global effort of achieving a world where every girl can reach her full potential.
SDGs, Targets and Indicators
-
SDG 5: Gender Equality
- Target 5.3: Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early, and forced marriage
- Indicator 5.3.1: Proportion of women aged 20-24 years who were married or in a union before age 18
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SDG 1: No Poverty
- Target 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable
- Indicator 1.3.1: Proportion of population covered by social protection floors/systems, by sex, distinguishing children, unemployed persons, older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, newborns, work-injury victims, and the poor and vulnerable
The article addresses the issue of child marriage in India and its connection to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Specifically, it highlights SDG 5: Gender Equality and SDG 1: No Poverty as relevant to the issue.
Under SDG 5, the target identified is to eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early, and forced marriage. This target is directly connected to the issue of child marriage discussed in the article. The indicator mentioned is Indicator 5.3.1, which measures the proportion of women aged 20-24 years who were married or in a union before age 18. This indicator can be used to measure progress towards the target of eliminating child marriage.
Under SDG 1, the target identified is to implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable. While this target is not directly related to child marriage, it is relevant as poverty and lack of social protection can contribute to the prevalence of child marriage. The indicator mentioned is Indicator 1.3.1, which measures the proportion of population covered by social protection floors/systems, by sex, distinguishing various vulnerable groups. This indicator can be used to measure progress towards reducing poverty and improving social protection, which in turn can help address the root causes of child marriage.
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 5: Gender Equality | Target 5.3: Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early, and forced marriage | Indicator 5.3.1: Proportion of women aged 20-24 years who were married or in a union before age 18 |
| SDG 1: No Poverty | Target 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable | Indicator 1.3.1: Proportion of population covered by social protection floors/systems, by sex, distinguishing children, unemployed persons, older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, newborns, work-injury victims, and the poor and vulnerable |
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Source: icrw.org
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