Why Every Girl Deserves the Chance to Learn
Early child marriage, also known as child marriage, is any formal or informal union involving a person under the age of 18. It remains one of the greatest barriers to girls' education in The Gambia and across Africa, often forcing girls to leave school before they can complete their education.
Globally, around 12 million girls are married before their 18th birthday every year, and more than 650 million women alive today were married as children. Education is one of the most effective ways to prevent child marriage, giving girls the knowledge, confidence, and opportunities to shape their own futures. Research also shows that each additional year of schooling reduces the likelihood of early marriage. In The Gambia, tackling child marriage requires communities, schools, families, government, and charities to work together. What Is Early Child Marriage?
According to UNICEF, child marriage is any formal marriage or informal union where at least one person is under the age of 18. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child recognises 18 as the legal end of childhood, when individuals are considered mature enough to make informed decisions about their lives.
While some arranged marriages may occur with the full and free consent of adults, forced marriage happens without genuine consent and is a violation of human rights. Children cannot give full, informed consent to marriage because of their age, maturity, and dependence on adults. Child marriage often ends a girl's education, limits her opportunities, and increases her risk of poverty, violence, and poor health. Is Child Marriage the Same as Forced Marriage?
While not every forced marriage involves a child, every child marriage is considered a form of forced marriage because a person under 18 cannot freely and fully consent to marriage under international human rights standards.
Why Does Early Child Marriage Happen?
Early child marriage is rarely caused by a single factor. Instead, it results from a combination of poverty, gender inequality, cultural traditions, limited access to education, social pressures, and economic hardship.
Understanding these underlying causes is essential to addressing the root of the problem and ensuring that more girls in The Gambia can stay in school, delay marriage, and build independent, fulfilling futures. 
Poverty
Girls from the poorest households in The Gambia are more than twice as likely to marry as children (49%) as girls from the richest households (19%). Prospective husbands often offer money or gifts to secure marriages that families feel they can't refuse.
Gender Inequality
Child marriage is reinforced by the belief that girls and women are somehow inferior to men and boys; where a boy's education is prioritised, a girl's path is too often assumed to be marriage, not school.
Cultural and Societal Expectations
In many communities, child marriage is seen as a positive, traditional part of life. Shifting this requires the same community leaders and structures that currently reinforce it.
Limited Access to Education
When school is too far to walk, transport isn't available, and fees aren't affordable, marriage starts to look like the more realistic option. Removing these practical barriers keeps a girl's options open.
Teenage Pregnancies
Some families marry off daughters early, specifically to avoid pre-marital pregnancy. In practice, this usually ends a girl's education permanently rather than protecting it.
Child Marriage Statistics in The Gambia and Africa
Child marriage remains one of the world's most widespread human rights challenges, affecting millions of girls every year despite global efforts to end the practice. Although progress has been made over the past two decades, the burden remains highest in Sub-Saharan Africa, where rapid population growth means the number of girls at risk continues to rise.
The Gambia has made important legislative progress by criminalising child marriage, yet many girls, particularly in rural communities, remain vulnerable due to poverty, gender inequality, and cultural norms. The statistics below highlight the scale of the challenge and why protecting girls through education remains an urgent priority. Regions: Key Statistics on Early Marriage
Global
• 12 million girls are married before the age of 18 every year. • More than 640 million women and girls alive today were married before turning 18. • Child marriage has declined globally over the last 25 years, but progress is not fast enough to meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of ending child marriage by 2030. Africa • Africa is home to some of the highest child marriage rates in the world. • More than 130 million women in Africa were married before the age of 18. • In Sub-Saharan Africa, approximately 1 in 3 young women (31%) were married before their 18th birthday, making it the region with the highest prevalence globally. West Africa • West and Central Africa have the highest regional prevalence of child marriage worldwide. • Around 37% of young women aged 20–24 were married before turning 18. • Countries across the region continue to experience high rates of child marriage due to poverty, gender inequality, conflict, and limited access to education. The Gambia • Approximately 23.1% of women aged 20–24 were married before the age of 18. • Around 5.6% were married before the age of 15. • Child marriage is significantly more common in rural regions, with some areas recording rates above 40–50%. • The Children's (Amendment) Act 2016 prohibits child marriage, but enforcement and community awareness remain ongoing challenges. 
Girls without any education are five times more likely to marry as children than those who complete secondary school (51% vs. 10%)
In The Gambia, the Child Marriage Data Portal reports that 23% of women are married before age 18 (roughly 264,600 women) and 6% before age 15 (around 73,700 women). That's real progress from 1995, when the rate stood near 50%. But that national number hides considerable variation. In some regions, the reality is far worse.
A New Global Commitment: The International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage
On 4 September 2026, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a landmark resolution establishing 27 November as the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage. The resolution was championed by Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, First Lady of Sierra Leone and President of the Organization of African First Ladies for Development, alongside Bhuwan Ribhu of Just Rights for Children, and was backed by 67 nations before being adopted by consensus across all 193 UN member states.
"Today, the world has spoken with one voice: child, early and forced marriage has no place in our societies," said Dr. Bio. "This resolution is far more than symbolic - it is a global mandate for action." Why this matters for girls in The Gambia: a dedicated UN observance day raises the global profile of an issue that, as the statistics above show, still affects a significant number of Gambian girls, particularly in regions like Janjanbureh, Basse and Kuntaur. It creates a fixed annual moment for governments, schools, and organisations like SaGG Foundation to renew focus, coordinate action, and hold themselves accountable to real progress. Most importantly, it reinforces what this article has already shown: education remains one of the most effective tools for prevention, and it's the same case we make in the blog 6 Reasons Why Girls' Education in The Gambia Requires Urgent Action, now with a global stage each year to make it on. How Early Child Marriage Prevents Girls' EducationGirls Leave School Earlier
School often doesn't end because of money; it ends because of marriage. A married girl's role shifts overnight from student to wife, and continuing school is rarely seen as compatible with that.
Pregnancy Interrupts Education
Marriage and pregnancy are closely linked for girls who marry young, and pregnancy is one of the most common reasons girls drop out entirely, rather than pause temporarily.
Loss of Future Employment
Women who married early earned 8% less on average (across 12 countries studied) than they would have if they had married after 18. Missed education becomes lost lifetime earnings.
Mental and Physical Health
Child marriage is linked to reduced autonomy, higher risk of partner violence, and greater risk of complications in childbirth.
Musu Bakoto Sawo's story: Married at 14
Musu was married at 14 and underwent FGM as a young child. Widowed at 21 with nothing to inherit, she's said that education was what let her rebuild her life. Today, she's a lawyer teaching at the University of The Gambia and national coordinator of Think Young Women, working to end violence against women and girls, including child marriage and FGM.
"My desire is to have a generation of enlightened and strong young women." - Musu Bakoto Sawo Why Educating Girls Helps End Child Marriage
What Can Be Done to Prevent Child Marriage?Governments
Strengthen child marriage laws by enforcing the legal minimum marriage age across all regions, closing legal loopholes, and investing in free, quality secondary education for every girl.
School
Families
Communities
Charities
How SaGG Foundation Is Helping Girls Stay in School
SaGG (Sponsor a Gambian Girl), founded by Annetta Paps-King and Lisa, has transformed the lives of over 200 Gambian girls from nursery to university.
Support includes: sponsorship, school fees, uniforms, books, mentoring, advocacy, digital skills, safeguarding, and community engagement. 100% of contributions go directly to a girl's education. How You Can Help End Early Child MarriageFrequently Asked Questions About Early Child MarriageIs child marriage legal in The Gambia?
No, the Children's (Amendment) Act 2016 sets 18 as the minimum, though enforcement is inconsistent, especially in regions applying traditional Sharia family law.
How common is child marriage in Africa?
Africa has some of the highest rates globally: 130M+ women married before 18, with Sub-Saharan Africa at ~31%, the highest regional prevalence in the world.
Does education reduce child marriage?
Yes, girls with little/no education are up to 6x more likely to marry young than those completing secondary school.
Why are girls married young?
A mix of poverty, gender inequality, cultural expectations, and limited education access; not one single cause.
Share Your Thoughts
We'd love to hear your thoughts. What more can families, schools, communities, governments, and charities do to end child marriage and keep girls in education?
Share your views, experiences, or ideas in the comments below, and if this article has inspired you, please share it with others. Together, we can raise awareness, influence change, and help build a future where every girl has the chance to succeed. Resources
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