Research Insight: Can child marriage law change attitudes and behaviour? (Bangladesh)

Experimental Evidence from an Information Intervention in Bangladesh.

As part of an EDI case study on early marriage in Bangladesh, we conducted a randomised information intervention in 80 villages following a recent change in child marriage law in the country. We recorded the incidence of female adolescent marriages in the study areas during a 10-month period following the intervention. In a previous EDI policy brief, we reported on effects of the intervention, which provided men and women information about the new child marriage law, on their beliefs and attitudes. These initial findings showed that while the information intervention affected beliefs and attitudes towards the practice, the effects were limited in scope and magnitude. In this brief, we report on actual marriage decisions following the intervention, including the effects of providing information about the new law to extended family members.

Authors: Amrit Amirapu, M Niaz Asadullah, Zaki Wahhaj