UNFPA’s nationwide review of its support to rural youth has indicated that early marriage remains under-addressed in Myanmar. The review showed that early marriage in rural Myanmar is a challenge to be addressed in the coming years. However, there are success stories from the field which provide indicators as to how to tackle this issue.
In all UNFPA’s project sites in rural areas of Ayeyarwady, Bago, Kachin, Mandalay, Magway, Shan and Yangon, early marriage from the age of 13 is a big concern for both young people and health staff. The review of these project sites showed that UNFPA supported Community Support Groups (CSGs) have good access to their communities and are an underutilized resource in programming against gender-based violence and early marriage. An impressive example from Shan South shows how members from a CSG, who received training on the physical and economic harm of early marriage several years ago, were able to convince their village not to allow marriages before the age of 18. “This is why our village does not have early marriage anymore and adolescent pregnancy is very rare, in contrast to some of the neighbouring villages”, one CSG member explained.
More comprehensive trainings on the impact of child marriage are needed, targeting hard to reach areas and strengthening the inclusiveness of ethnic minorities in outreach activities, ensuring the right to access of quality sexual and reproductive health information. Although the example from Shan South shows the benefits of UNFPA’s cooperation with the Central Health Educational Bureau, the way forward is challenging. The findings from the review will be utilized so that further evidence-based programming is adapted to meet the needs of young rural people in Myanmar.
