Climate shocks spark surge in child marriage

Climate-related disasters are increasing the risks of child marriage, unintended pregnancy and violence against girls, with the effects particularly severe in vulnerable communities including Bangladesh, according to a new global study by Plan International.

It found that climate disasters such as floods, droughts, cyclones, and extreme heat are destroying the health and education services girls depend on at the precise moment they need them most, with the consequences falling hardest on girls who already have the least.

The study combines an analysis of health and climate data covering more than 50 countries over three decades with a survey of 5,000 girls and interviews and focus group discussions with 139 girls in Bangladesh, Kenya, Peru, Senegal and Zimbabwe.

According to the study, one in 10 girls surveyed said they had personally experienced an unintended pregnancy following a climate-related event, while 33% said unintended pregnancies had increased in their communities. 

Similarly, one in 10 said they had married before 18, while 36% reported seeing more girls married or entering unions before 18 after climate disasters.

Some 28 percent girls reported an increase in violence against women and girls following climate-related events. Nine in 10 said climate shocks were putting serious pressure on their families' survival, health and stability.

The study also found that 76% of girls said more girls and young women in their communities were struggling to access at least one health service. The figure rose to 84% among girls affected by drought. 

Girls from minority communities faced greater risks, being nearly three times as likely to report an unintended pregnancy and more than twice as likely to face pressure to marry young.

Behind many of these consequences lies a simple but devastating reality: climate shocks are pulling girls out of school. When education is disrupted, girls lose the single most protective factor in their lives, making them significantly more vulnerable to exploitation, violence, early marriage, and lost access to health services.

"For girls, the climate crisis is not a distant threat. It is already disrupting their education and increasing the risks they face when they cannot access health services. Only half of national climate plans mention girls’ or women’s health, and despite the escalating impact of climate shocks on the health systems and services girls rely on, just 0.5% of multilateral climate finance supports health", said Reena Ghelani, Plan International CEO.

Girls reported increased risks of sexual exploitation in the aftermath of climate shocks, including being pressured into exchanging sex for money or basic necessities as protection systems and support networks break down. 

Girls also reported heightened danger in emergency shelters, where cramped conditions and darkness left them exposed to harassment and sexual violence.

With the world's attention soon to turn to COP31, where countries have an opportunity to negotiate international action on climate change Plan International is calling on governments and donors to act- keep schools open and free during climate shocks - education is the single most consistent protective factor across three decades of data, and girls whose schooling is disrupted are twice as likely to marry young or face an unintended pregnancy.

Plan International CEO Reena Ghelani said, “We know what puts girls at risk, and we know what helps protect them. What is missing is not the evidence, but the urgency to act on it. Girls cannot continue to be treated as an afterthought in climate action. They must have a meaningful say in the decisions that shape their lives, and their rights and needs must be built into climate policy and financing from the outset”.