Can Media Campaigns Change Attitudes and Spark Actions to Reduce Early Child Marriage? Impact Evaluation of Breakthrough’s Early Marriage Campaign in Jharkhand and Bihar States of India. Grantee Final Report
Outcomes: Child, Early, and Forced Marriage
View SourceKey Social Norms Take-aways The study reveals that norms supporting early marriage and rigid gender roles can shift through media-driven and community-based engagement. Breakthrough’s mass media campaigns challenged the normalization of child marriage, while training and community mobilization helped reinforce critical reflection on gender norms. The intervention encouraged more equitable attitudes among adolescents and adults, especially when programming was locally embedded and …
Objectives To evaluate the effectiveness of Breakthrough’s early marriage intervention in reducing child marriage and shifting gender norms and behaviors in Jharkhand and Bihar, India.
Methods A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted in 225 gram panchayats (GPs) across the two states. The study compared four intervention groups (mass media only, training + media, community mobilization + media, and a full package with all three components) against a control group. Quantitative data from 2,542 households and qualitative interviews with adolescents, caregivers, and community members were analyzed. Gender attitude scales and behavior change indicators were used to assess s…
Intervention Details The intervention ran from 2012 and included: 1. Mass media campaigns—TV, radio, print, and digital messaging promoting delayed marriage and girls’ education. 2. Community mobilization—activities like street plays, community meetings, and youth-led initiatives. 3. Training programs—capacity-building for adolescents and community leaders to facilitate discussion on gender, rights, and agency. Each package aimed to shift perceptions and spark community dialogue around child marriage…
Results The full package intervention showed the most substantial changes in attitudes and behaviors. Households exposed to all components reported improved perceptions of girls’ education, increased discussions around delaying marriage, and greater willingness to question traditional gender roles. Mass media alone had more modest effects. The inclusion of training and local mobilization was critical to translating awareness into community-level norm change.
Conclusions Comprehensive strategies that combine mass media with participatory community engagement and training can drive measurable shifts in gender norms and reduce early marriage risks. While mass media alone can raise awareness, interpersonal and localized interventions are more effective in transforming social expectations and enabling sustainable behavior change.
Disclaimer: These summaries were generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence and are based on the interpretation of source documents. While efforts have been made to ensure accuracy and clarity, there may be errors or omissions. Users are encouraged to consult the original documents for complete and authoritative information.