Putting an end to the practice of child marriage became an international commitment
under Sustainable Development Goal 5 that focuses on empowering girls and
women worldwide. Dreaming of a Better Life: Child Marriage Through Adolescent
Eyes offers fresh insights and evidence to inform these efforts, based on fi ndings
from research and intervention projects funded by Canada’s International
Development Research Centre (IDRC) to investigate different aspects of child
marriage. Spanning rural and urban settings across Bangladesh, Côte d’Ivoire,
India, Mali, Niger, Pakistan, Peru, Senegal, Togo and Zambia, the chapters address
themes such as adolescent girls’ agency and roles in marital decision-making,
teenage motherhood, sexual and gender-based violence against children, and
lessons learned from trying to infl uence policies and implement programmes to
reduce child marriage. The short chapters, and mix of photo, visual, interview and
traditional reporting formats, are designed to appeal to policymakers in their national
contexts, as well as resonate with others committed to supporting and empowering
marginalised children and young people everywhere