Written question asked by Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour) on Thursday, 30 June 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 14 July 2011. It was answered by Andrew Mitchell (Conservative) on Thursday, 14 July 2011 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Developing Countries: Marriage

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he plans to take to reduce the incidence of early and forced marriage in developing countries.

Answer: Investing in adolescent girls, including delaying the age of marriage and first pregnancy, is a central part of DFID's Strategic Vision for Girls and Women.In Ethiopia, DFID is taking to scale a successful pilot, supported by the Nike Foundation. The scaled up programme will delay marriage for 220,000 girls in two specific locations, with the vision to expand to the entire Amhara region—which has the highest rate of child marriage in Sub-Saharan Africa.DFID is also supporting the Population Council's Transitions to Adulthood programme, which is addressing child marriage. The programme works with communities in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Kenya and Nigeria, to foster an environment that is supportive of later marriage. The programme offers families the resources and options they need to defer marriage, while also supporting married girls by addressing the isolation and disempowerment that characterizes their situation.

Secondary information