Research Activities
Research Projects 2026
Toward Systematic Understanding of Child Marriage
Outline
Child marriage, defined as marriage under the age of 18, is widespread in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. It often leads to school dropout and early pregnancy, and it also poses serious health risks. Although it is illegal in many countries, enforcement remains weak. Previous empirical research has primarily used randomized controlled trials to conduct rigorous causal inference on what prevents child marriage, yet there is still no consensus on which interventions are effective. Moreover, even when an intervention proves effective in one locality, it often suffers from limited external validity. The motivation of this study is the recognition that child marriage must be understood not only at the local level, but through a systematic analysis of its underlying contexts and determinants. In practice, however, there is a striking paucity of empirical research using cross-country data. Our goal is to provide a systematic understanding of child marriage, which is prevalent in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. To achieve this goal, the availability of data that aligns with theoretical framework of child marriage is indispensable. The objective of this one-year research project is to assess the feasibility of conducting such a study.
Period
April 2026 - March 2027
Members
| Role | Member |
|---|---|
| [ Organizer ] | Makino, Momoe |
| [ Co-researcher ] | Nikiema, Apollinaire |
*Affiliations are as of April 2026.
Expected Outcome
- Theoretical Research Report