Child marriage, adolescent pregnancy and family formation in West and Central Africa: patterns, trends and drivers of change

Case Studies & Research
Dakar
UNICEF WCARO
2015
84 p.

This study aims to address two core questions: 1. To identify core drivers of child marriage and adolescent pregnancy in West and Central Africa; 2. To assess the levels, trends and relationships between child marriage and adolescent pregnancy in the region. The report begins with an in-depth literature review presenting a general understanding of the institution and the process of marriage– and family formation in West and Central Africa through the lens of the family. It documents contemporary trends of marriage and the global processes affecting traditional marriage patterns. It is then followed by a quantitative analysis using DHS and MICS data to describe trends in child marriage, adolescent sexual intercourse and pregnancy at the national and regional levels. The empirical relationships among these behaviors and their drivers and consequences are also examined.

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