Child, Early and Forced Marriage and Unions (CEFMU) in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Gender Justice Perspective [English Summary]

This policy brief was originally produced in Spanish by EADI Gender Justice Working Group members, Evangelina Martich and Catalina Dominguez. Click here to view the document in Spanish.

Child, Early and Forced Marriage and Unions remains one of the most persistent violations of the rights of girls worldwide. In Latin America and the Caribbean, however, the phenomenon presents a distinct profile: while formal child marriages have declined following legal reforms, early unions remain widespread and continue to affect approximately one in four young women.

These informal unions are often overlooked in public policy and legal frameworks, despite exposing girls and adolescents to many of the same, and often greater, risks associated with formal child marriage. Their informal nature frequently leaves girls with fewer legal protections while reinforcing structural inequalities, gender-based violence, and barriers to education, economic autonomy, and access to justice.

This policy brief examines CEFMU as one of the most persistent yet overlooked gender justice challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean. It argues that legal reforms alone are insufficient and calls for comprehensive, rights-based responses that address the structural drivers sustaining the practice.