Tigray child marriage crisis worsens amid war and famine

The recent war in Ethiopia’s Tigray region has caused a sharp rise in child and forced marriage, undoing decades of progress in reducing the practice. Research by the Gender Empowerment Movement Tigray (GEMTigray) identifies poverty, power dynamics, and the pressures of war as key drivers of this resurgence. The 2020‑2022 conflict displaced nearly one million people and triggered widespread famine, leaving families desperate. The collapse of governance and social infrastructure has also limited access to education, healthcare, and protection services, pushing some families toward early marriage as a survival strategy.

The humanitarian crisis 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. Moreover, the war destroyed 88 % of the region’s schools, making it difficult for girls to continue their education and increasing their vulnerability to early marriage. Although Ethiopia’s Revised Family Code sets the minimum marriage age at 18, the lack of disaggregated funding for child‑marriage prevention programs hampers enforcement. UNICEF reports that the national budget contains no dedicated funds for such programs, making sustained efforts to curb the practice challenging.

To combat child and forced marriage in Tigray, GEMTigray proposes a multi‑component approach that integrates education, protection, and livelihood support. This strategy includes rebuilding and strengthening the education system, providing cash assistance and vocational training to ease economic pressures, and engaging communities to shift prevailing norms. Comprehensive support for survivors—such as sexual and reproductive health care, psychosocial services, and educational opportunities—is also essential.

The success of these interventions 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 crucial, requiring investment in regional surveys and the integration of child‑marriage indicators into humanitarian planning. By addressing the root causes—poverty, inequality, displacement, and the destruction of institutions—Ethiopia can restore dignity, opportunity, and hope for the next generation of Tigrayan women and girls.