Ring your future, without changing diaper – Can preventing teenage pregnancy address child marriage in Zambia?
Outcomes: Child, Early, and Forced Marriage, Sexual and Reproductive Health
View SourceKey Social Norms Take-aways In Eastern Zambia, social and gender norms play a major role in driving both teenage pregnancy and child marriage. Cultural expectations around early sexual debut, family honor, and the role of girls as wives and mothers push young people—especially girls—into early sexual activity and marriage. Initiation ceremonies, transactional relationships, and stigma surrounding premarital pregnancy reinforce these behaviors. To effectively address child marriage, programs must go beyond services and education to engage with and shift these community norms.
Objectives To explore the social, cultural, and structural factors that shape young people’s sexual behavior in rural Zambia, particularly focusing on the links between teenage pregnancy and child marriage.
Methods The study used a mixed-methods approach, including a household survey with 1,434 young people (ages 15–24), focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and key informant interviews. Data were collected in 2016 from three rural districts in Eastern Zambia: Petauke, Chadiza, and Katete.
Intervention Details This study was part of the baseline evaluation for the Yes I Do program (2016–2020), funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented in Zambia by Plan Zambia and partners. The program aimed to reduce child marriage and teenage pregnancy through youth empowerment, sexuality education, economic opportunities, and community engagement.
Results Teenage pregnancy was more prevalent (48%) than child marriage (13%), but the two were closely linked. Pregnancy was often a trigger for early marriage, used to manage social stigma and economic burden. Girls typically had limited decision-making power, and marriage was often arranged by parents. Early sexual activity, poverty, and low contraceptive use—despite high awareness—contributed to unplanned pregnancies. Initiation ceremonies reinforced gender roles and expectations for sexual activity. Access to SRHR services was especially limited for unmarried youth.
Conclusions Addressing child marriage in this context requires more than service delivery or legal reform. Interventions must tackle the broader social environment—engaging families, communities, and young people themselves to transform norms around gender, sexuality, and the value of girls’ futures beyond early motherhood or marriage.
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