Knowledge Is Power: Youth-led Research to Address Power Dynamics in Knowledge and Advocacy Processes to End Child Marriage and Promote Girls' Education in West Africa

"There is growing concern in the child marriage and education sectors - and beyond - with the unequal power dynamics and Eurocentrism in research, knowledge production and advocacy practices around these issues."

Published by Girls Not Brides, this report shares the findings from youth-led research on child marriage and girls' education in West Africa, which sought to support evidence-based actions while addressing power dynamics in research and advocacy processes. The report includes research findings and case studies around the impacts of social norms, economic factors, the quality of the learning environment, and security crisis and displacement on girls' education and child marriage. It also features recommendations made by the young researchers on how to address these issues and to strengthen youth-led research.

The research is part of a project implemented by Girls Not Brides and funded by Education Out Loud (EOL), which seeks to address the linked issues of child marriage and girls' lack of access to quality education. As Girls Not Brides believes that young activists are critical agents and sources of knowledge and solutions in the process to end child marriage and guarantee access to quality education for girls, the project includes a youth-led research component, intended to position young advocates as key stakeholders in the generation, analysis, and dissemination of data and evidence, and in providing decision-makers with evidence-based and actionable recommendations to end child marriage and promote girls' education.

As explained in the report, the research was conducted by nine young researchers from Burkina Faso and Niger who were between 18 and 25 years old, six of whom were women. All the young researchers worked or studied in fields where they have witnessed the impact of child marriage and/or girls' education, and each chose a theme and location for their research. All research and analysis was based on a decolonial and feminist conceptual framework, incorporating feminist theory, activist research, and critical discourse analysis. The young researchers received theoretical and practical training in research methodology and advocacy and were supported by mentors in their analysis of findings and case study writing.

The research findings shared in the report can be summarised as follows: 

The impact of social norms on girls education and child marriage: The young researchers provided a critical examination of girls' agency and the overall power dynamics in decision-making processes in child marriage and girls' education. The findings show how some rigid social norms and peer pressure exacerbate the risk of child marriage and girls' lack of access to education. Girls' participation in decision-making processes in child marriage is influenced by the persisting idealistic representation of marriage, widely circulated by mass and social media, which prioritises it above other pathways to success for girls. The view of child marriage and girls' education within the community and among parents is also shaped by concerns of exclusion and the need for social protection.

The impact of economic factors on girls' education and child marriage: The research showed that girls' involvement in domestic work and participation in income-generating activities limited their educational opportunities and increased the risk of child marriage. The young researchers argue that girls' engagement in economic activities can be linked to the need to meet everyday familial expenses, unforeseen health crises, and the responsibility of fulfilling educational responsibilities for younger children in contexts of multidimensional poverty and climate change crises. The findings provide an in-depth look at the experiences of girls who (i) go to school and are engaged in paid or unpaid domestic work, (ii) left school to work full-time as domestic workers, and (iii) have never been to school and work full-time as domestic workers.

The impact of the quality of learning environment on girls' education and child marriage: The findings show how girls' access to education and protection from child marriage is influenced by the quality of the learning environment and communities' perception of schools as sites of immorality and as unfavourable environments for females to assimilate into society. In addition, boys' demand for education is higher than girls' due to high opportunity costs for girls. The prevailing belief that marrying off girls is a safer choice than pursuing an education is also reinforced by the increase in school violence and the decline in the quality of learning and school infrastructure.

The impact of the security crisis and displacement on girls' education and child marriage: The findings reveal how armed conflicts have resulted in massive internal displacement and closure of schools, leading to psychological distress and deprivation that disproportionately affect girls. They also note the significant disparity in early school leaving between girls and boys, as parents particularly fear for girls' safety. Governments have developed several recovery initiatives but have not adequately addressed the challenges faced by girls who are displaced. For example, material support is not sufficient, and girls often struggle with academic performance. The security crisis has increased the risk of forced marriages and sexual violence. Despite these challenges, there are promising practices and gaps in government responses to the education in emergency settings.

The following are recommendations highlighted by the young researchers: 

Make space for girls' voices to shift the discourse around social norms in child marriage and girls' education:
 

• Promote female role models who have achieved academic and professional success so that girls can identify with them and adapt their own aspirations.
• Use information and communication technologies (ICTs) and media platforms to reshape the prevailing discourse around child marriage, with a particular focus on the advantages of girls' education.
• Enhance the cultural relevance of community advocacy efforts by promoting the development of new narratives around child marriage and girls' education.

Advocate for an integrated and inclusive approach to supporting girls involved in paid and unpaid work:
 

• Provide comprehensive support for education-related expenses for girls who face the highest risk of interrupting their education, covering school fees, learning materials, and other related costs.
• Improve access to education for girls who are married, parenting, and/or who are not already enrolled in school.
• Provide vocational training opportunities for girls.

Ensure quality, inclusive, and culturally relevant education:
 

• Change the emphasis of advocacy efforts from a focus on access to education to one centred on the promotion of quality and inclusive education.
• Implement structural reforms in the education system to foster gender-transformative education and to rethink school infrastructures and environments to mitigate absenteeism for girls.
• Advance culturally relevant education.

Safeguard internally displaced girls' rights through education in conflict settings:
 

• Enhance the effectiveness of systems for providing care to internally displaced persons by ensuring the registration of internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in official and informal sites.
• Improve the implementation and funding of emergency education initiatives, with a particular focus on a holistic and gender-transformative approach for girls who have been displaced.
• Carefully and consistently include the perspectives of internally displaced girls in policies and programmes.
• Expand state support for stakeholders in the education sector working to improve the wellbeing and empowerment of internally displaced girls.
• Incorporate mental health aspects into the reintegration of IDP children into school.

Finally, the report offers a number of recommendations related to the youth-led research process. These recommendations include, for example, fostering networking of young researchers with other young activists engaged in research and advocacy in other regions and thematic areas, allocating more time to conduct research and strengthen mentorship processes, and ensuring young researchers have the appropriate ICT tools to conduct the research and participate in trainings.