The evolution of the global movement to end child marriage

Abstract

Although international and domestic laws prohibit child marriage, millions of girls are married every year worldwide, a trend only aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the turn of the century, the global advocacy movement to end child marriage has gained momentum by standardizing its framing, using testimonies and symbols to generate empathy and mobilize solidarity, and engaging with policymakers to end the practice. In this article, I draw on newspaper articles, advocacy reports, and interviews with activists in the United States and Latin America to identify the reasons behind its success. I also discuss several challenges activists are grappling with as the movement evolves, including intra-network dynamics regarding the centrality of sexuality and the forms child marriage adopts around the world.

Acknowledgments

I thank the activists who took the time to discuss their important work and share their expertise with me. Without their help, this research would not have been possible. I gratefully acknowledge the feedback I received from Suparna Chaudhry, Esther Spindler, an anonymous reviewer, and participants at the 2021 conference convened by the Global Human Rights Hub at the Arizona State University and sponsored by the National Science Foundation. All translations from Spanish to English, as well as any errors, are my own.

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Latin American Institute and the International Institute of the University of California, Los Angeles, and by the National Science Foundation award #2029490.

Notes on contributors

Andrea Vilán

Andrea Vilán is an Associate Research Scholar at Princeton's School of International and Public Affairs and holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles. Her research focuses on transnational activism, children's rights, and international law.