A Randomised Controlled Trial to test best practices for delaying child marriage

In 2012, Population council and partners started a 4 year randomised controlled trial, with the aim to find strategies which are proven to be successful in reducing child marriage.

BALIKA results show that programs that educate girls, build their skills for modern livelihoods, and engage their communities can reduce the likelihood of child marriage by onethird and produce better health, educational, and social outcomes for girls. Girls living in BALIKA communities were one-third less likely to be married as children (0.69–0.77 relative odds adjusted for age, religion, and family wealth status) than girls living in communities not reached by the BALIKA program.
Girls who were single at the beginning of the study were one-fourth less likely to be married by the end of the study (0.76-0.78 relative odds adjusted for age, religion, and family wealth status).

Full Report available at: Delaying child marriage through community-based skills-development programs for girls.