What can the global movement to end child marriage learn from the implementation of other multi-sectoral initiatives?

Abstract

If the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 5.3 to end child marriage by 2030 is to be met, the annual rate of reduction in the prevalence of child marriage must increase from 1.9% to 23%. Over 30 countries have developed, or are developing, national policies/programmes towards this goal. However, many are struggling to operationalise these policies/programmes, particularly at subnational levels. Thus, Girls Not Brides and the WHO commissioned a review of lessons learnt from national and subnational implementation of multi-sectoral policies/programmes targeting other issues that could be applied to the global movement to end child marriage. This review identified a number of pragmatic lessons learnt. At the national level, countries should identify and engage committed and skilled leadership, build a shared understanding of the target issue and how to address it, and delineate and clarify the roles and responsibilities of relevant stakeholders. At the subnational level, countries should establish coordination mechanisms, build awareness and capacity of staff, use subnational evidence to contextualise and tailor interventions, develop coordinated budgets and cost-sharing mechanisms, and integrate monitoring and evaluation systems. These lessons are remarkably consistent, despite coming from different target issues and contexts. The commonality of these findings reveals that various stakeholders are repeatedly and consistently failing to ensure that these fundamental requirements are in place. It is vital that the global movement to end child marriage learns from and uses these lessons if it is to meet its SDG target.

Keywords: HIV; health policy; maternal health; nutrition; review.