While child marriage predominantly affects adolescent girls, evidence has shown that working only with girls is not enough to end the practice. Many boys and young men too face pressures to marry early, or to marry girls who are children, and play a key role in embodying and reproducing harmful gender norms that drive child marriage. Rather than simply involving them in activities to prevent child marriage, the broader movement for gender equality has shed light on the need for gender-transformative engagement with both men and boys to address the roots of child marriage.

Margaret Greene, Equimundo Senior Fellow and Director of GreeneWorks, moderated a discussion about the latest research, evidence-based tools and best practices for including men and boys in efforts to prevent child marriage through gender-transformative approaches.

Panelists included:

• Jean Casey – Girls Not Brides
• Jeff Edmeades – Demographic and Health Surveys Program
• Colleen Murray Gastón – UNICEF
• José-Roberto Luna Manzanero – UNFPA
• Julie Rialet – Equimundo Consultant