Prevalence rates of child marriage and early child-bearing have been declining across India
over the past two decades, but absolute numbers remain high. This paper uses data collected
from 3,000 children over 15 years in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana by Young Lives, a
longitudinal study of childhood poverty, to provide an evidence base from which to strengthen
policy and programming in this area.
An ecological life-course framework is used to explore the causes of child marriage and early
child-bearing and the factors which help to prevent them. Findings show that girls who stay in
school for longer marry later, but gender gaps in enrolment widen during adolescence; where
household resources are limited, gendered social risks become more acute and parents
are forced to make decisions which disadvantage girls; aspirations matter but reflect wider
realities; and social norms that encourage early child-bearing are compounded by inequitable
access to health and education services.
The paper finds that, whilst child marriage and early child-bearing are driven by entrenched
patriarchal norms regarding the role and value of girls (and women) in society, structural
factors are critical. Poverty and social disadvantage constrain girls’ opportunities and
exacerbate the risks they face, forcing individual girls and their families to maintain ‘normal’
practices, thus reinforcing norms. An ecological life-course framework helps to demonstrate
the need for a layered strategy to tackle the gendered disadvantages which drive child
marriage and early child-bearing.