Banning the practice nationwide nearly two decades ago was only half the battle, advocates and experts say.
Erulkar, who has spent more than 25 years in sub-Saharan Africa, said the program identified regions of the country where child marriage is prevalent, notably the rural areas, not only because it’s common to view girls solely as caretakers and wives, but also where there is a lack of alternatives such as education, employment and female role models, among other factors. This, in part, contributes to the prevalence of child brides.
The results of that program, piloted in just a handful of regions at first, found that girls ages 10 to 14 were 90 percent less likely to be married and three times more likely to remain in school. However, that’s when she said the program ran into problems. She and the other workers had not collected detailed information on the exact cost of the program, leading to concerns from government officials that it might be too costly to run and too difficult to implement broadly.
Rachel Yates, the interim executive director of Girls Not Brides, told NBC News that the work of the Berhane Hewan program is a part of a larger effort from advocates on the ground."A lot of our members have been very active in promoting better laws and policies.
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