The Impact of Weather Shocks on the Efficiency of Child Marriage Bans (Mathilde Lesueur)

Abstract : I study how economic conditions affect the effectiveness of child marriage bans in 11 African countries where, similar to global trends, child marriage remains a prevalent issue despite legal bans. In most parts of the African continent, marriage involves a financial transfer from the husband’s to the wife’s family (the bride price). Poor and vulnerable households can use child marriage as a coping mechanism to face negative shocks, preponing the union of their daughter to receive the payment earlier and smooth consumption. Does lifting financial constraints improve households’ ability to obey child marriage bans? To respond to this question, I use a DID-like approach to study the response to child marriage bans depending on exogenous income shocks approximated by weather shocks. I find that bans were effective in urban areas only. In rural areas practicing the bride price, however, bans are effective when there is no negative shock during the adolescence of the girl, and negative weather shocks decrease to nullify the effectiveness of bans.