Parents' decision to marry off their young daughters is influenced by concerns about poverty, protection from rape and its stigma, prevention of pregnancy outside marriage, and from the influence of other communities – all issues exacerbated by displacement. Rather than solving these problems, child marriage isolates girls from what opportunities exist.

Nine of the top 10 countries with the highest rates of child marriage are fragile states. Yet married girls are invisible in humanitarian programming.

This research suggests that when girls have access to education and other programming and when families have their basic needs met, child marriage can be reduced.