Child Marriage in Ethiopia’s Tigray Region: A Pressing Concern
The recent war in Ethiopia’s Tigray region has led to a significant increase in child and forced marriage, reversing decades of progress made in reducing this practice. According to research by the Gender Empowerment Movement Tigray (GEMTigray), poverty, power, and pressures of war have contributed to the resurgence of child marriage, which was previously in decline.
The 2020-2022 war has had a devastating impact on the region, with nearly one million people displaced and widespread famine leaving families desperate. The collapse of governance and social infrastructure has also led to a lack of access to education, healthcare, and protection services, making it difficult for families to survive without resorting to early marriage.
The humanitarian crisis in Tigray has created an environment that fosters early and forced marriage. Conflict-related sexual violence has been used as a weapon of war, leaving survivors traumatized and without adequate protection. The war has also destroyed 88% of the region’s schools, making it difficult for girls to access education and increasing their vulnerability to early marriage.
Despite the Ethiopian government’s Revised Family Code, which establishes the minimum age of marriage at 18, the lack of disaggregated funding for child marriage prevention programs has hindered efforts to address the issue. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reported that Ethiopia’s national budget lacks dedicated funding for child marriage prevention programs, making it challenging to sustain efforts to reduce the practice.
To address child and forced marriage in Tigray, GEMTigray proposes a multi-component approach that integrates education, protection, and livelihood support. This includes rebuilding and strengthening education systems, providing cash assistance and vocational programs to alleviate economic pressures, and engaging communities to shift prevailing norms. It is also essential to provide comprehensive support to survivors, including access to sexual and reproductive health care, psychosocial support, and educational opportunities.
The success of these efforts depends on securing long-term financing and partnerships, as well as embedding child marriage prevention into official post-war recovery plans. Data-driven policy formulation is also crucial, requiring investment in regional-level surveys and the integration of child marriage indicators into humanitarian planning. By addressing the root causes of child and forced marriage, including poverty, inequality, displacement, and the destruction of institutions, it is possible to restore dignity, opportunity, and hope for the next generation of Tigrayan women and girls.