How is COVID, a virus, making child marriage increase? 

Experts highlight three primary drivers of why this is happening.  

The first is the loss of education. Because of lockdowns, children have been kept from going to school.  

The second is a declining family income. Parents have lost their jobs, and they’re struggling to provide for their families.  

The third is isolation. Families have been in lockdown. They don’t have access to places they would normally go for help in these situations, such as churches and community groups, local government or charities. Crucially, as children have been prevented from going to school, teachers haven’t been in contact with students they know are vulnerable.