GIRLS’ EDUCATION AND CHILD MARRIAGE IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA KEY FINDINGS AHEAD OF THE OCTOBER 2017 HIGH LEVEL MEETING ON ENDING CHILD MARRIAGE IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA QUENTIN WODON, CHATA MALE, ADENIKE ONAGORUWA, AND ALI YEDAN OCTOBER 2017 GIRLS’ EDUCATION AND CHILD MARRIAGE IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA KEY FINDINGS AHEAD OF THE OCTOBER 2017 HIGH LEVEL MEETING ON ENDING CHILD MARRIAGE IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA QUENTIN WODON, CHATA MALE, ADENIKE ONAGORUWA, AND ALI YEDAN BACKGROUND Despite substantial progress over the last two decades, mothers face higher risks of dying by age five, being girls still have on average lower levels of educational malnourished, and doing poorly in school. Overall, the attainment than boys in West and Central Africa. This economic and social costs of girls marrying and dropping is in part because many girls in the region are married out of school early are large for individuals and at the level while still children, often before they may be physically of communities and societies. and emotionally ready to become wives and mothers. Educating girls and ending child marriage is essential Girls’ educational attainment and child marriage are for girls and young women to have agency, not only closely linked. Ending child marriage would improve girls’ as wives and mothers, but also beyond those roles. It educational attainment, and conversely, improving girls’ is also essential to enable countries to reach their full educational attainment would help reduce child marriage. development potential. This is why enabling adolescent girls to remain in school at the secondary level is one of the best ways to end child Low educational attainment and child marriage both marriage, and ending child marriage is similarly essential affect girls’ life trajectories in profound ways. Girls to enable girls to remain in secondary school. To catalyze marrying or dropping out of school early are more likely attention and investments in West and Central Africa to experience poor health, have children at younger ages towards promoting girls’ education and ending child and more children over their lifetime, and earn less in marriage, this note is part of a series that documents adulthood. This makes it more likely that their household trends in girls’ educational attainment and child marriage will live in poverty. Other risks for women associated in the region, the factors that lead girls to marry or drop with a lack of educational attainment and child marriage out of school early, and the associated impacts on a wide include intimate partner violence and lack of decision- range of development outcomes. Selected economic making ability within the household. Fundamentally, costs resulting from girls marrying and dropping out girls marrying or dropping out of school early are of school early are also estimated. Finally, policies and disempowered in ways that deprive them of their basic programs that could help end child marriage and improve rights. This affects not only the girls themselves, but also girls’ educational attainment are discussed. their children. For example, children of very young 1 | GIRLS’ EDUCATION AND CHILD MARRIAGE IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA: KEY FINDINGS AHEAD OF THE OCTOBER 2017 HIGH LEVEL MEETING ON ENDING CHILD MARRIAGE IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA | OCTOBER 2017 KEY  NOTE 1 FINDINGS GIRLS’ EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT AND CHILD This note provides a rapid summary of a first set of eight notes in this series on girls’ education and child marriage in MARRIAGE: AGGREGATE West and Central Africa. The eight notes were prepared ahead of the High Level Meeting on Ending Child Marriage TRENDS OVER TIME in West and Central Africa held in Dakar on October 23-25, 2017. Several notes in this first set look at the economic This note analyzes trends over time in educational impacts of girls’ education and child marriage on a range of attainment for girls and child marriage in West and other development outcomes. The analysis in those notes Central Africa. The analysis is conducted for 22 of the 25 builds on previous work prepared by the World Bank for a countries in the region using comparable household surveys joint study with the International Center for Research on implemented between 2010 and 2016, depending on the Women on the economic impacts of child marriage globally. country. Key results at the time of the latest survey for The analysis of impacts in this set of notes focuses specifically each country are as follows: on West and Central Africa and is extended to consider the impact of girls’ education as well as that of child marriage ąą Comparing girls aged 15-18 to women aged 41- (see the framework provided in appendix). Key results are 49, primary completion rates increased on average highlighted below for each of the first eight notes individually. across the 22 countries by 24.0 percentage points on average, from 28.7 percent to 52.7 percent. ąą Completion rates for lower secondary are at 29.3 percent on average for women aged 18- 21. This is an increase of 13.5 percentage points The secondary school is located in comparison to women aged 41-49. a distance away and hundreds of students have enrolled there. But ąą At the upper secondary level, completion rates they return home … unhappy about for women aged 21-24 remain very low at 13.5 percent, an increase of only 8.1 percentage … how they are treated where points versus rates for women aged 41-49. they are staying. Eventually they insist on staying home. Only two ąą On average, the prevalence of child marriage has of the seven girls that entered the decreased by only 8.2 points in two and a half decades, from 46.8 percent for women aged 41- secondary school this year remain. 49 to 38.6 percent for those aged 18-22. The other five have already been withdrawn and married. ąą There is a strong negative relationship between secondary schooling and child marriage. Lower secondary completion rates explain almost 60 percent of the variance in child marriage rates. Progress towards ending child marriage and ensuring that girls complete secondary school has been much slower than progress for primary and lower secondary education. GIRLS’ EDUCATION AND CHILD MARRIAGE IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA: | 2 OCTOBER 2017 | KEY FINDINGS AHEAD OF THE OCTOBER 2017 HIGH LEVEL MEETING ON ENDING CHILD MARRIAGE IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA  NOTE 2 ąą The probability of marrying as a child is reduced in a statistically significant way by seven percentage points GIRLS’ EDUCATION on average in the six countries for every additional year of secondary schooling. Similar effects are AND CHILD MARRIAGE: observed for the probability of early childbearing. ANALYSIS OF MUTUAL ąą Overall, these results point to the close relationships between dropping-out of school for girls and marrying IMPACTS BASED ON early. Together with reviews of the literature, the results also suggest that keeping girls in schools is INDIVIDUAL LEVEL DATA one of the best ways to delay child marriage. Marriage is a key reason for girls to drop out of school.  NOTE 3 Ending child marriage would help improve girls’ educational IMPACTS OF GIRLS’ attainment. Conversely, keeping EDUCATION AND girls in school in one of the best ways to end child marriage. CHILD MARRIAGE ON FERTILITY AND MODERN This note analyzes the relationships between educational attainment for girls and child marriage in West and Central CONTRACEPTIVE USE Africa. The analysis is conducted at the individual level using household surveys for six countries that account for two thirds of the region’s population. Key results are as follows: This note summarizes results from an analysis of the potential impacts of girls’ education and child marriage on fertility and modern contraceptive use in West and Central Africa. The ąą Parents often report that typically 10 to 30 percent of analysis is carried for six countries accounting for two thirds school dropouts by girls are due to an early marriage or of the population in the region. Key results are as follows: a pregnancy, with early marriages playing a larger role than pregnancies when both options are listed in survey ąą Controlling for other factors affecting total questionnaires. These estimates may be on the low side. fertility, ending child marriage would result in a reduction in the number of live births that women ąą Once a girl marries or becomes pregnant, it is have over their lifetime of about 10 percent on often extremely difficult for her to return to school average in six countries that account for two even if this is in principle allowed by schools. thirds of West and Central Africa’s population. ąą Possibly due to small sample sizes for girls completing ąą Universal secondary education for girls could have secondary schooling, child marriage has a statistically an even larger impact, with a reduction in total significant impact on secondary school completion in fertility nationally of one fourth on average. This only two of the six countries. However, in sub-Saharan estimate does not include the additional benefit Africa as a whole, child marriage can be shown to that should result from the impact of universal reduce the likelihood of secondary school completion. secondary education on child marriage. 3 | GIRLS’ EDUCATION AND CHILD MARRIAGE IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA: KEY FINDINGS AHEAD OF THE OCTOBER 2017 HIGH LEVEL MEETING ON ENDING CHILD MARRIAGE IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA | OCTOBER 2017 ąą The impact on total fertility of girls completing only  NOTE 4 primary education is not statistically significant. Universal primary education would not be sufficient EARLY CHILDBEARING: to accelerate the demographic transition. AGGREGATE TRENDS ąą Controlling for other factors, ending child marriage or ensuring that girls complete their primary education AND RELATIONSHIP WITH would not have large impacts on modern contraceptive use. Universal secondary education for girls could CHILD MARRIAGE increase contraceptive use more. Yet even with a large percentage increase from the base, modern contraceptive use could remain low in absolute terms. This note summarizes results from an analysis of trends in early childbearing (a woman having a first child before ąą Overall, ending child marriage and educating the age of 18) in West and Central Africa. The analysis is girls, especially at the secondary level, could conducted for 22 of the 25 countries in the region using help in substantially reducing fertility and comparable household surveys implemented between 2010 thereby population growth. This would help and 2016, depending on the country. The note also includes countries increase standards of living and reap an assessment for a subset of countries of the share of early the benefits of the demographic dividend. childbearing at the level of both mothers and children likely due to child marriage. Key results are as follows: ąą On average, at the time of the latest survey for each Ending child marriage and country, the prevalence of early childbearing has ensuring universal secondary decreased by only 3.8 percentage points in two and a school completion for girls would half decades, from 33.8 percent for women aged 41-49 to 30.0 percent for those aged 18-22. In five countries, both have large effects on fertility. most of which have been affected by conflict, there By contrast, only universal has been an increase over time in early childbearing. secondary school completion would have a substantial impact ąą The relationship is strong between child marriage and early childbearing across countries, with on modern contraceptive use in child marriage explaining close to half of the some countries. variation in early childbearing. But there are also exceptions, with in some countries higher rates of early childbearing than child marriages. ąą On average, across a subset of these countries, 61.5 percent of mothers having a first child before 18 probably did so because of child marriages. For children born of mothers younger than 18, the proportion likely due to child marriages is at two thirds. Early childbearing (a girl having a first child before the age of 18) has not decreased substantially in the region over time. In many countries, most early childbearing is likely due to child marriage. GIRLS’ EDUCATION AND CHILD MARRIAGE IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA: | 4 OCTOBER 2017 | KEY FINDINGS AHEAD OF THE OCTOBER 2017 HIGH LEVEL MEETING ON ENDING CHILD MARRIAGE IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA  NOTE 5 ąą The effects of early childbearing are large at the margin, showing how children born of very young mothers IMPACTS OF GIRLS’ are vulnerable. Nationally however, early childbearing is directly responsible for only one in 100 children EDUCATION AND CHILD being stunted, and four in 100 children dying by age five. This is because relatively few children are born of MARRIAGE ON UNDER- mothers younger than 18 at the time of their birth. FIVE MORTALITY AND ąą There are indications that primary and secondary schooling can reduce under-five mortality and MALNUTRITION stunting, even if effects are not always statistically significant. The statistically significant impacts tend to be larger at the secondary level for Being born of a mother younger stunting than for under-five mortality. than 18 substantially increases the risk of under-five mortality and ąą When impacts are statistically significant, universal stunting for children. Yet ending secondary completion would have larger impacts early childbearing would not have at the national level on under-five mortality and stunting than ending early childbearing a very large effect on national in part because the number of children who mortality and stunting rates would benefit would be also be much larger. because relatively few children are born of mothers younger than ąą Overall, these results demonstrate the benefits 18. Ensuring universal secondary of ending early childbearing and educating girls, especially at the secondary level, for education for girls and thereby improving the health of young children. mothers could have a larger impact.   In West and Central Africa, early childbirths (a child being born of a mother younger than 18) can be shown in most cases to result from child marriage. When very young mothers give birth, the health risks for them and their children increase substantially. This note summarizes results from an analysis of the potential impacts of ending early childbearing and improving educational attainment for mothers on the risks of mortality and malnutrition for their young children under the age of five. The analysis is carried for six countries accounting for two thirds of the population in the region. Key results are as follows: ąą At the margin, controlling for other factors affecting child health, early childbearing is associated in most countries with a statistically significant increase in the risk for children of dying by age five. The average effect is large at five percentage points. For stunting, the impact is statistically significant in two thirds of the countries, with again large average effects at seven points. 5 | GIRLS’ EDUCATION AND CHILD MARRIAGE IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA: KEY FINDINGS AHEAD OF THE OCTOBER 2017 HIGH LEVEL MEETING ON ENDING CHILD MARRIAGE IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA | OCTOBER 2017  NOTE 6 ąą The effects of educational attainment on decision- making ability tend to be larger, at least at the post- IMPACTS OF GIRLS’ primary level, and they are statistically significant in most countries. As a result, gains from universal EDUCATION AND secondary completion could be large, with a percentage increase from the base values of 14 percent on average CHILD MARRIAGE ON across the countries with statistically significant impacts. WOMEN’S DECISION- ąą In most cases, child marriage does not have an impact on women’s knowledge of HIV/AIDS. But MAKING, KNOWLEDGE completion of primary or secondary education do. Effects are larger at the secondary level with OF HIV/AIDS, AND BIRTH an increase from base values of 13 percent for countries with statistically significant impacts. REGISTRATIONS ąą Early childbearing, which in most cases is due to child marriage, does not directly affect birth In some countries, child marriage registration, but there may be indirect effects has an impact on women’s through education. Indeed, in some cases, completion of secondary education increases the decision-making ability in the likelihood that newborns will be registered. household. Impacts of child marriage on women’s knowledge of ąą Overall, the results suggest limited direct effects of HIV/AIDS, and whether children child marriage (or early childbearing) on decision- are registered at birth at birth making ability, knowledge of HIV/AIDS, and birth registration. The effects from primary or are less statistically significant. secondary education completion are more often Secondary education for girls statistically significant and are also larger. often has a positive impact on all three indicators. This note summarizes results from an analysis of the potential impacts of girls’ education and child marriage on three indicators of women’s agency: women’s decision-making ability within their household, their knowledge of HIV/AIDS, and whether they register their children at birth. The analysis is carried for six countries accounting for two thirds of the population in the region. Key results are as follows: ąą Child marriage has a statistically significant impact on women’s decision-making ability in half of the countries, but those impacts are not very large in most cases. Therefore, ending child marriage would probably not have a very large impact on decision-making ability, although some additional impact could be observed through the fact that child marriage affects educational attainment. GIRLS’ EDUCATION AND CHILD MARRIAGE IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA: | 6 OCTOBER 2017 | KEY FINDINGS AHEAD OF THE OCTOBER 2017 HIGH LEVEL MEETING ON ENDING CHILD MARRIAGE IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA  NOTE 7 ąą By 2030, the annual welfare benefits in terms of higher GDP per capita that would result from ECONOMIC COSTS OF lower population growth by ending child marriage could reach $59 billion in purchasing power parity CHILD MARRIAGE RELATED terms. This estimate is computed for 21 of the 25 countries in the region. It is meant to represent TO POPULATION GROWTH, an order of magnitude, as opposed to a precise estimate given the many assumptions involved. HEALTH RISKS FOR YOUNG ąą By 2030, annual benefits from reduced under-five CHILDREN, AND EARNINGS mortality and stunting from ending child marriage could reach more than $5 billion in purchasing power parity FOR WOMEN terms. This estimate covers seven countries that account for close to two thirds of the region’s population. The economic costs of child ąą Today, the loss in earnings for women associated with marriage related to population past child marriages is estimated at $8.3 billion in purchasing power parity in six countries that account growth, health risks for young for two thirds of the region’s population. Due to children, and lower earnings economic and population growth, this estimate would for women are large. By 2030, probably increase in the future unless the prevalence the benefit from ending child of child marriage were to be reduced substantially. marriage could reach well above $60 billion in purchasing power parity in the region. This is an  NOTE 8 order of magnitude as opposed to a precise estimate given the UNDERSTANDING AND many assumptions involved. ENDING CHILD MARRIAGE: INSIGHTS FROM HAUSA This note summarizes results from an analysis of selected economic costs of child marriage for countries in West and COMMUNITIES Central Africa (a similar analysis of the cost of not educating girls in the region is underway and will be shared in a separate This note summarizes results from a combined quantitative and note). The focus is on costs associated with higher population qualitative analysis of factors leading to girls dropping out of growth, lower earnings for women, and higher health risks for school and marrying early in rural Hausa communities in Niger young children. Key results are as follows: and Nigeria, and the role that education programs can play in improving outcomes for girls. Key results are as follows: ąą The cumulative reduction in population growth from ending child marriage or early childbearing are ąą Rural Hausa communities have very high rates significant. On average, across six countries accounting of child marriage in both Niger and Nigeria. In for two thirds of the region’s population, population those communities, at least three in four girls in sizes would be 3.4 percent smaller by 2030 if early those communities marry before the age of 18. childbearing had been ended in 2015. The impact of ending child marriage would be slightly lower as ąą Parents want to avoid the risk of a pregnancy out of not all early childbearing is due to child marriage. marriage. If a girl becomes pregnant before marriage, the social cost to her and her family can be tremendous. 7 | GIRLS’ EDUCATION AND CHILD MARRIAGE IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA: KEY FINDINGS AHEAD OF THE OCTOBER 2017 HIGH LEVEL MEETING ON ENDING CHILD MARRIAGE IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA | OCTOBER 2017 ąą Most parents care about the well-being of CONCLUSION their daughters. But in communities where the prevalence of child marriage is high, schools are This note has provided a rapid summary of a set of a first set weak or even inexistent, and the risks for girls not of eight notes in a new series on girls’ education and child to marry are real, there are few viable alternatives marriage in West and Central Africa. Progress towards ending to having their daughter marry young. child marriage and early childbearing (a girl having a first child before the age of 18), as well as ensuring that girls complete ąą There is near consensus among parents that daughters their secondary education, has been slow over the last two need to be consulted during the marriage decision- and a half decades in many countries of the region. Marriage making process. This does not mean that there is no at an early age appears to be a key reason for girls to drop out pressure to marry and silence on the part of daughters of school. At the same time, in many communities, keeping is too often taken by parents as consent to marry. adolescent girls in school is seen by parents as the only viable alternative to marriage, at least in countries where fear of ąą Girls drop out of school due to poor learning sexual activity outside of marriage is a major driver of girls outcomes and cost, failure at primary completion marrying early. The implication is that ending child marriage exams, lack of secondary schools, forced would help improve girls’ educational attainment substantially withdrawal of married adolescents, never enrolling and, conversely, keeping girls in school in one of the best ways in school or enrolling too late, the influence of to end child marriage. As to early childbearing, it is in most relatives, and demands on first daughters. cases likely due to child marriage. ąą When girls do not learn much in school, it is difficult for parents to make the monetary and other sacrifices Ending child marriage would that are needed to enable them to remain in school. help improve girls’ educational attainment. Conversely, keeping ąą Lessons can be learned from successful girls in school in one of the best interventions. An evaluation of the Center for Girls’ ways to end child marriage. Education in Nigeria suggests that the program keeps girls in school and delays marriage. This also means that overall development impacts and costs are likely to be larger than those Lack of schools, poor learning obtained when considering while in school, the pressure only child marriage, or only to find a suitable husband, and educational attainment, and not parental fear of sexual activity the interaction between both. outside of marriage are some of the drivers of child marriage. The economic and development rationale for improving To delay marriage, girls and girls’ education and ending child marriage is strong. Ending parents need a viable alternative. child marriage and ensuring universal secondary school completion for girls would both have large effects on fertility Schooling can be this alternative, and population growth, leading to higher standards of living with examples of successful for the population. For children, being born of a mother interventions. younger than 18 increases the risk of under-five mortality and stunting. Ending early childbearing would not have a very large effect on national mortality and stunting rates, but many children would still be saved and avoid stunting. Ensuring universal secondary education for girls and thereby mothers could have a much larger impact towards reducing rates of under-five mortality and stunting nationally. In some GIRLS’ EDUCATION AND CHILD MARRIAGE IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA: | 8 OCTOBER 2017 | KEY FINDINGS AHEAD OF THE OCTOBER 2017 HIGH LEVEL MEETING ON ENDING CHILD MARRIAGE IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA countries, child marriage has an impact on women’s decision- costs associated with those impacts. For the analysis of making ability in the household, but the impacts of child impacts and costs, a simple framework guides the analysis. marriage on women’s knowledge of HIV/AIDS and whether As shown in the top part of Figure 1, which is adapted from children are registered at birth at birth tend to be less a previous global study on the economic impacts of child statistically significant. Secondary education for girls often marriage, girls’ education and child marriage are linked. has a positive impact on all three indicators. The literature as well as estimates from this series suggest that keeping girls in school is one of the best ways to delay One of the notes prepared for the High Level Meeting on marriage. By contrast, marrying early almost always leads Ending Child Marriage in West and Central Africa provides girls to drop out of school. estimations of the economic cost of child marriage (a similar analysis is being prepared for the economic cost of not In turn, both girls’ educational attainment and child educating girls). The results are striking. By 2030, solely due marriage matter for other development outcomes. Four to lower population growth, the benefit for the population main outcomes are considered in this series: fertility, health from ending child marriage could reach $59 billion in (including nutrition and the risk of exposure to intimate purchasing power parity in the region. Additional benefits partner violence), work (including labor force participation, would be reaped in terms of higher earnings for women land ownership, and earnings), and agency (including thanks to a better education, and lower risks of under-five decision-making and other impacts). While some of these mortality and stunting for children. In addition, by ending impacts are estimated for girls marrying or dropping out of child marriage and early childbearing and thereby reducing school early, others are estimated for their children. population growth, governments could increase the quality of the services provided to the population because lower Selected economic costs or benefits associated with the population growth would reduce the strains imposed on impacts of girls’ education and child marriage are then national budgets to provide such services. estimated. The framework distinguishes four types of benefits from educating girls and ending child marriage: Educating girls and ending child marriage is not only the right income gains, welfare gains, budget savings, and other thing to do, it is also a smart economic investment. What benefits. Examples of benefits include (1) higher growth can be done in practice? Subsequent notes in this series will in GDP per capita thanks to lower population growth; discuss the role of laws, policies, and interventions in ending (2) higher labor earnings for women in adulthood; (3) child marriage and educating girls. There are great examples higher labor earnings for children in adulthood thanks to of successful interventions that can be replicated at larger less stunting; (4) benefits associated with the valuation scale. Investing in such interventions, piloting and evaluating of children’s lives saved; and (5) reduced budget needs new initiatives to learn about what works, and more generally thanks to lower population growth. This list of benefits is aiming to empower girls and women will be key to the future by no means exhaustive, but it includes some of the largest development and economic well-being of the region. economic benefits that can be expected from educating girls and ending child marriage. Finally, we note that the benefits from educating girls APPENDIX: FRAMEWORK and ending child marriage at the level of individuals and households have broader implications at the national and FOR ANALYZING IMPACTS even global level. By raising standards of living (through higher GDP per capita with lower population growth and AND COSTS OR BENEFITS higher earnings for women), educating girls and ending child marriage will reduce poverty as well as inequality. Apart from discussing trends in girls’ education and child The benefits from educating girls and ending child marriage marriage, as well as factors leading to those outcomes and can be measured as flows from one year to the next. This is policies that could improve outcomes, one of the aims of this for example the case when looking at impacts on GDP per series of notes is to document the impacts of girls’ education capita. But they can also be measured as stocks through and child marriage in West and Central Africa and economic the concept of the wealth of nations. While a country’s 9 | GIRLS’ EDUCATION AND CHILD MARRIAGE IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA: KEY FINDINGS AHEAD OF THE OCTOBER 2017 HIGH LEVEL MEETING ON ENDING CHILD MARRIAGE IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA | OCTOBER 2017 GDP is an aggregate measure of annual production or girls and ending child marriages contributes to increasing a income, wealth is a measure of the assets base of a country. country’s human capital, and thereby its wealth and its long- A country’s assets or wealth is what enables it to produce term capacity to generate future incomes for the population. income. Research suggests that worldwide, human capital Said differently, by increasing human capital, educating girls accounts for two thirds of global wealth, with produced and and ending child marriage helps in ensuring the long-term natural capital accounting together for the rest. Educating sustainability of a country’s development path FIGURE A1: CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OBJECTIVES EDUCATING ENDING CHILD GIRLS MARRIAGE IMPACTS FOR GIRLS, THEIR CHILDREN & THEIR HOUSEHOLD FERTILITY HEALTH WORK AGENCY AGGREGATE COSTS & BENEFITS Income Welfare Budget Other Gains Gains Savings Benefits LOWER POVERTY AND INEQUALITY HIGHER WEALTH OF NATIONS AND SUSTAINABILITY Recommended citation for this note: Wodon, Q., Male, C., Onagoruwa, A., and Yedan, A. 2017. Key Findings Ahead of the October 2017 High Level Meeting on Ending Child Marriage in West and Central Africa, Girls’ Education and Child Marriage in West and Central Africa Notes Series. Education Global Practice. Washington, DC: The World Bank. This note is part of a broader series at the World Bank on Girls’ Education and Child Marriage in West and Central Africa. Funding for the series was provided by the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and the Global Partnership for Education. The part of the series related to impacts and costs builds on previous estimates of the economic impacts of child marriage prepared by the World Bank for a joint study with the International Center for Research on Women. The findings, interpretations and conclusions expressed in this note are entirely those of the authors and should not be attributed in any manner to the World Bank, to its affiliated organizations or to members of its Board of Executive Directors or the countries they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. Information contained in this note may be freely reproduced, published or otherwise used for noncommercial purposes without permission from the World Bank. However, the World Bank requests that this note be cited as the source. © 2017 The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank, Washington, DC. GIRLS’ EDUCATION AND CHILD MARRIAGE IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA: | 10 OCTOBER 2017 | KEY FINDINGS AHEAD OF THE OCTOBER 2017 HIGH LEVEL MEETING ON ENDING CHILD MARRIAGE IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA GIRLS’ EDUCATION AND CHILD MARRIAGE IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA KEY FINDINGS AHEAD OF THE OCTOBER 2017 HIGH LEVEL MEETING ON ENDING CHILD MARRIAGE IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA GIRLS’ EDUCATION AND CHILD MARRIAGE IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA: | 11 OCTOBER 2017 | KEY FINDINGS AHEAD OF THE OCTOBER 2017 HIGH LEVEL MEETING ON ENDING CHILD MARRIAGE IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA