Early Marriage
A pregnancy should not become a marriage she did not choose.
When a girl becomes pregnant, families sometimes push her into marriage with the father to settle the matter, ending her schooling for good.
- of Kenyan women aged 20–24 were married or in a union before age 18KDHS 2022
- 13%
- were married or in a union before age 15KDHS 2022
- 2%
The challenge
Child marriage in Kenya has fallen sharply over the past 25 years, but it has not disappeared, and it is closely tied to teenage pregnancy. A pregnancy can turn into an informal union that no one registers or reports.
A girl married young is more likely to leave school, less able to negotiate safe sex or health care, and more exposed to violence from a partner.
How GPAK responds
Family mediation and caregiver dialogue help a pregnancy lead to support at home, not a forced union.
Family strengtheningGetting a young mother back into school or training is the strongest protection against early marriage.
Education & re-entryHelp a young mother through all of it
These challenges arrive together in a girl’s life, so our support does too.