Madagascar: School Awareness Event Advances Action to End Child Marriage

As part of the 100 Days of Action to End Child Marriage, Women of the Future led a school awareness and pledging activity in Madagascar to engage students and teachers in understanding and preventing child marriage.

Madagascar continues to face high rates of child marriage, with national estimates showing that 38–40% of girls and 11–13% of boys are married before the age of 18. Although the 2007 Law on Marriage and Matrimonial Regimes set the legal age of marriage at 18 for both girls and boys, the practice remains common, particularly in rural regions.

The situation has been made more difficult by recent crises. Prolonged drought between 2021 and 2025 created food insecurity and economic hardship for many families. Severe rainfall and flooding in late 2025 further increased vulnerability, with poverty and instability placing more children, especially girls, at risk of early marriage.

In response, Women of the Future has been working through community and school outreach under the 100 Days campaign. During the recent school event, 200 students and teachers took part in a session focused on the harmful effects of child marriage, children’s rights, and the importance of education as a protective factor. At the end of the activity, participants took pledges to stand against child marriage and support their peers.

The campaign is supported by a growing network of more than 40 volunteers, who contribute both through in-person outreach and remote coordination. Local media engagement has also helped spread awareness, including youth voices using radio to share messages about protecting children.

Activities have taken place despite public health and logistical challenges, including disruptions linked to the monkeypox outbreak, which required additional safety measures and occasional rescheduling. Even so, awareness efforts have continued in schools and community spaces, ensuring that conversations about child protection remain active.

Women of the Future remains committed to strengthening local action, supporting young people, and working with communities to help create a future where every child can grow up free from child marriage.