The gendered toll of armed conflict: how the genocide in Gaza is compounding girls’ risks of child marriage and gender-based violence

Child and forced marriage are considered serious violations of human rights. They are prohibited and criminalised under United Nations treaties, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which have been ratified by most states worldwide (Girls Not Brides, 2013). Child marriage disrupts human development, truncates educational and economic opportunities, and significantly increases health risks, particularly during early pregnancy and childbirth (risking the health of both mother and child)(UNICEF 2023). Girls who married before the age of 15 are almost 50% more likely to have experienced gender-based violence compared to those who married after age 18 (Girls Not Brides n.d.).

Suggested citation:

Vintges, J., Abu Hamad, B. and Jones, N. (2025) ‘The gendered toll of armed conflict: how the genocide in Gaza is compounding girls’ risks of child marriage and gender-based violence’ Policy brief. London: Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (https://gage.odi.org/the-gendered-toll-of-armed-conflict-how-the-genocide-in-gaza-is-compounding-girls-risks-of-child-marriage-and-gender-based-violence/)