Drivers of child marriage in Eastern and Western provinces in Zambia and effective preventive interventions: Findings from a rapid document review and three stakeholder meetings

Background: Zambia has one of the highest child marriage rates in the world. Drivers of child marriage are multifaceted, complex and interrelated, firmly embedded in the social and cultural context. This study explored why, despite lower poverty and equal teenage pregnancy levels, child marriage is more prevalent in Eastern than in Western province in Zambia; and mapped effective preventive interventions. This knowledge is vital for informing the development of effective preventive interventions in Eastern Zambia and beyond. 

Methods: Guided by a conceptual framework on drivers of child marriage by Psaki et al. (2021), this study combined a rapid review of the literature on drivers and preventive interventions concerning child marriage relevant to Zambia with three participatory stakeholder meetings in Zambia to discuss, validate and complement findings. 

Results: Poverty and lack of opportunity, including low education levels, are among the main drivers of child marriage in Zambia. Influenced by socio-cultural and gender norms and practices, people in the Western and Eastern provinces seem to react differently to teenage pregnancy. In Eastern province, pregnancy is often followed by marriage, while in Western province, a historical high value of education makes more pregnant girls to continue school. Conditional cash transfers to keep girls in school and, to a lesser extent, empowerment interventions emerged as the most effective evidence-informed preventive interventions. Limited acceptability of young people’s sexuality and needs for information and services and too little involvement of traditional and religious leaders need further attention to address child marriage in both provinces. 

Conclusion: Interventions to prevent child marriage in Zambia need to focus on the main drivers of the practice. Norm change around the value of education, conditional cash transfer, working towards increased acceptability of sexual and reproductive health information and services for young people, empowerment interventions and strategic alliances with traditional and religious leaders, can contribute to combat child marriage.