Child marriages plunged when girls stayed in school in Nigeria

"We had meetings with them, we introduced the project and we were lucky that they accepted it. They were involved in the programme from the beginning. The success of the programme, which is called Pathways to Choice, had a lot to do with the involvement of local religious leaders."

"There's a lot of insurgents, bandits and terrorists, and sometimes they capture single girls. Families believe that, if the girl gets married early, then the husband can protect her. Reasons why families might not enrol their daughters in school include scepticism about education quality and fear of violence."

Nearly 80% of girls in northern Nigeria marry before age 18, often leaving school or never attending. The Pathways to Choice program, developed by medical anthropologist Daniel Perlman and implemented by the Centre for Girls Education, partners with community leaders to keep girls in school and delay marriage. A study of over 1,000 girls demonstrates the program's effectiveness. Key to success was involving local religious leaders from the beginning, gaining their acceptance and participation. In northwestern and northeastern Nigeria, only 41% of women under 35 have attended school. Families avoid education due to quality concerns and security fears, sometimes preferring early marriage believing husbands provide protection.

Read at Nature